VIDEO: Petitioners' Attorney Sujata Gibson in DiCapua v NYC Case Speaks to Petitioners, Supporters After Hearing, Staten Island

Gibson spoke after a hearing where Judge Porzio denied a motion by the respondents to dismiss the case and set a date of August 14 to hear arguments on certifying the case as a class-action lawsuit.

On July 18, 2023, at the Richmond County Courthouse in Staten Island, New York Supreme Court Judge Ralph Porzio denied a motion by the respondents in the DiCapua v NYC lawsuit to dismiss the case, and set a date of August 14 to hear arguments on whether to certify the case as a class-action lawsuit.

Petitioners' Attorney Sujata Gibson spoke to petitioners and supporters in the courthouse lobby after the hearing.

Workers who were terminated under New York City's vaccine mandates and other supporters rallied before the hearing and filled the courtroom, with some having to wait in the hallway during the hearing. The lawsuit was brought by 16 current and former NYC Department of Education employees who were adversely affected by the DOE’s mandate when their requests for religious exemptions were denied, as well as the organization Teachers for Choice. The case is a proposed class-action suit whose outcome could affect many more individuals if certified.