A former employee of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, Darin Fragoza, has filed a lawsuit against the agency.
The suit alleges that Fragoza was unjustly terminated after his request for a religious exemption to the agency's Covid vaccine mandate was denied.
According to the complaint, Fragoza had worked as a journeyman station engineer for San Francisco's wastewater treatment operation since April 2007. The complaint asserts he applied for the religious accommodation, allowing him to keep his job despite not receiving a Covid vaccine, in December 2021. His request was turned down and no alternative accommodations were offered.
Later that month, he was fired for allegedly violating the commission's vaccine mandate.
The lawsuit accuses the City and County of San Francisco Public Utilities Commission of violating the Fair Employment and Housing Act and Title VII by failing to accommodate Fragoza's religious beliefs. It also claims violations of both California and US Constitutions.
The plaintiff is seeking compensatory damages for past and future wage loss, emotional distress, and other economic and non-economic damages.
The plaintiff is represented by attorney Arkady Itkin, of San Francisco.
The lawsuit was filed Jan. 24 in San Francisco County Superior Court.