Rockmond Dunbar Exits "9-1-1" over Covid Vaccine Mandate after Pursuing Medical & Religious Exemptions
by Nellie Andreeva
Nov. 16, 2021


Original "9-1-1" cast member Rockmond Dunbar is leaving the hit Fox drama series after more than four seasons. His character, Michael Grant, was abruptly written off in last night’s episode, leaving fans of the first responders drama stunned.

According to sources, Dunbar’s departure stems from the new Covid protocols on the show, produced by Disney TV Studios’ 20th Television, which require all actors to be vaccinated.




I hear Dunbar requested a medical exemption and later sought a religious exemption. Both were reviewed by Disney and were rejected, sources said.

According to insiders, Dunbar is not believed to be anti-vaxxer but declined to comply with the Covid vaccine mandate based on the grounds he presented, which led to his exit from "9-1-1".




In a statement to Deadline, Dunbar confirmed the circumstances surrounding his departure.

“I applied for religious and medical accommodations pursuant to the law and unfortunately was denied by my employer,” he said. “My sincerely held beliefs and private medical history are very intimate and personal aspects of my life that I do not publicly discuss and have no desire to start now. I’ve been an actor in this business for 30 years, but my greatest roles are as a husband and father to our 4 small children. As a man that walks in faith, I look forward to what the future holds.”

Dunbar went on to say, “I have enjoyed the last 5 seasons with this wonderful cast and crew and will cherish the time I’ve been blessed to spend with this series and wish everyone involved nothing but the best.”




In response to Deadline’s inquiry, a spokesman for 20th Television provided the following comment:

“We take the health and safety of all of our employees very seriously, and have implemented a mandatory vaccination confirmation process for those working in Zone A on our productions. In order to ensure a safer workplace for all, Zone A personnel who do not confirm their vaccination status and do not meet the criteria for exemption will not be eligible to work.”

https://deadline.com/2021/11/rockmond-dunbar-exits-911-covid-vaccine-mandate-medical-religious-exemptions-1234874927/

Rockmond Dunbar sues Disney and 20th Century Fox over his 9-1-1 exit over vaccine mandate (https://www.tmz.com/2022/02/17/rockmond-dunbar-sues-disney-fox-discrimination-covid-vaccine-911/)

Dunbar's lawsuit states he sought a religious and medical exemption for the COVID vaccine and that he was assured that the production could accommodate him. "Instead," according to TMZ, "Rockmond claims he was barred from the set and assured his character's storyline would show him leaving temporarily, keeping open the possibility for him to return down the road." He also alleges that he was the only Black male lead actor on the TV show and his dismissal severely damaged his career.

Rockmond Dunbar Loses Lawsuit against Disney for Discrimination over Vaccine Mandate that Led to "9-1-1" Exit
by Patrick Hipes, Dominic Patten, Bruce Haring
November 4, 2022


Disney and 20th Television no longer face a disparate impact claim in a lawsuit brought by actor Rockmond Dunbar.

A federal judge ruled that Dunbar’s dismissal from the drama series "9-1-1" for refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine can’t claim disparate impact because no other members of his Universal Wisdom church have been affected by the reason for his job loss. He had claimed a religious exemption, saying the firms discriminated against church members.

“He still cannot identify any other Universal Wisdom followers who have been adversely affected by Defendants’ vaccination policy,” reads the order from U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee.

https://deadline.com/2022/11/rockmond-dunbar-sues-disney-9-1-1-vaccine-mandate-1234956056/

‘911’ Actor’s Lawsuit Over COVID Vaccine Firing Heads to Trial (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/rockmund-dunbar-911-actor-covid-19-vaccine-trial-1235847032/)

The court found (https://www.reddit.com/r/television/comments/1ba1g4v/911_actors_lawsuit_over_covid_vaccine_firing/) that 20th Television may have engaged in religious discrimination (https://www.lipstickalley.com/threads/disney-fox-abc-head-to-trial-over-religious-discrimination-for-firing-against-actor-rockmund-dunbar-over-vaccine-mandate.5550145/) against the actor (https://www.lipstickalley.com/threads/rockmond-dunbar-loses-lawsuit-against-disney-over-covid-19-vaccine-mandate.5070423/), who was denied an exemption from the vaccine.

‘9-1-1’ Actor Rockmond Dunbar Loses COVID Vaccine Lawsuit Against Disney (https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/rockmond-dunbar-trial-verdict-covid-vaccine-1236555850/)

A jury on Friday rejected “9-1-1” actor Rockmond Dunbar‘s claim that he was fired from the show due to his religious conviction against getting the COVID-19 vaccine.

The eight-member federal jury found unanimously in favor of Disney-owned 20th Television. When the verdict was read, Dunbar put his head in his hands.

“Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God!” he shouted, and then turned to his wife and children, who were sitting in the gallery. “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry. We’ll be okay.”

Dunbar sued the company in 2022, alleging that the production failed to accommodate his belief in the tenets of the Congregation of Universal Wisdom, which disapproves of vaccines and other medical interventions.

Disney’s lawyers, led by Maria Rodriguez of McDermott Will & Schulte, argued that Dunbar lacked credibility. She noted that Dunbar routinely takes synthetic testosterone and anastrozole, which the leader of the Congregation of Universal Wisdom called “sacrilegious.”