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In the NoCo

Why CU-Anschutz will pay $10 million to settle a case involving COVID vaccine mandates

the point of a hypodermic needle is shown with a drop of liquid
Flickr

The CU-Anschutz medical campus in Aurora recently agreed to pay $10.3 million to settle a lawsuit over vaccine mandates during the pandemic.

A group of 18 students and faculty claimed that the school violated their religious liberties by requiring them to receive COVID vaccinations to be on campus in person. CU ultimately settled the case through mediation.

The Thomas More Society, which specializes in religious liberty cases, represented the students and staff. The organization says this is one of the only cases in the country so far in which a defendant paid out money in a lawsuit over COVID vaccinations.

So, why did CU settle? And what does the case say about vaccination policies in Colorado going forward?

Reporter John Ingold covers public health and wrote about this settlement for The Colorado Sun. He joined Erin O’Toole to unpack those questions.

CLARIFICATION: An earlier version of this post included a photo of the UCHealth building on the CU-Anschutz campus. UCHealth was not involved in the case discussed in this story.

KUNC's In The NoCo is a daily slice of stories, news, people and issues. It's a window to the communities along the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The show brings context and insight to the stories of the day, often elevating unheard voices in the process. And because life in Northern Colorado is a balance of work and play, we celebrate the lighter side of things here, too.
Brad Turner is an executive producer in KUNC's newsroom. He manages the podcast team that makes In The NoCo, which also airs weekdays in Morning Edition and All Things Considered. His work as a podcaster and journalist has appeared on NPR's Weekend Edition, NPR Music, the PBS Newshour, Colorado Public Radio, MTV Online, the Denver Post, Boulder's Daily Camera, and the Longmont Times-Call.
As the host of KUNC’s news program and podcast In The NoCo, I work closely with our producers and reporters to bring context and diverse perspectives to the important issues of the day. Northern Colorado is such a diverse and growing region, brimming with history, culture, music, education, civic engagement, and amazing outdoor recreation. I love finding the stories and voices that reflect what makes NoCo such an extraordinary place to live.