January 1, Air Force Pilot Wins Over Religious Flu Shot Reprisal

Wyatt’s Take

• Air Force pilot Major Brennan Schilperoort was punished for refusing a flu shot due to his faith.
• The Air Force Review Board found he faced discrimination, calling his reprimand unlawful.
• This decision lets him seek back pay and return to flying.

The Air Force Review Board decided that Major Brennan Schilperoort was wrongfully treated after he asked for a religious exemption from the flu vaccine. His attorney called this decision “a huge win,” as Schilperoort may be able to get his job and pay back.

After Schilperoort refused the flu shot for religious reasons, his request wasn’t properly processed, leading to punishment and possible separation from the Air Force. He was put on unpaid leave on short notice, a move normally seen only in cases of criminal convictions.

“In over 22 years of doing this, I’ve never seen a case where someone is in this stage of the process he’s in and is put on involuntary excess leave,” said attorney R. Davis Younts.

The Air Force argued they couldn’t process Schilperoort’s new exemption request since the last one took so long. His lawyer said the military’s reasoning was “absurd” and that processing delays shouldn’t be blamed on the pilot.

Schilperoort had also spoken out as a whistleblower on COVID vaccine policies. His attorney believes the punishment he faced fits a familiar pattern of military leaders targeting those with religious vaccine objections.

Before COVID, religious and even medical vaccine exemptions weren’t controversial or uncommon in the military. That’s changed, Younts pointed out, since many who file such requests now face pushback.

“Part of my frustration as an attorney over COVID, was that pre-COVID, RARs to vaccines were not rare or unreasonable. People in the military prior to COVID had religious accommodations for all vaccines, so it was not unheard of.”

On August 27, Air Force Review Board Agency Director Troy J. McIntosh ruled that Schilperoort was discriminated against by being reprimanded for not taking the flu shot while his request was still pending. He said Schilperoort showed “sincerely held religious beliefs” about the vaccine and was still exempt when punished.

“Lieutenant Colonel Lloyd issued the Letter of Reprimand knowing Appellant [Schilperoort] had submitted a religious accommodation request which was not acted upon, and Appellant had expressed sincerely held religious beliefs objecting to the influenza vaccine,” McIntosh added.

The Air Force Inspector General supported Schilperoort, saying his request was not properly processed and he was wrongly penalized for missing a previous year’s shot. These findings suggest there’s no longer a reason to remove him from the service.

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Wyatt Matters

This story cuts to the heart of God-given freedoms that must be defended. Folks working hard and serving their country shouldn’t lose their livelihood for standing by their faith. Protecting religious rights in America’s core institutions matters to every family in the heartland.

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