In a season of hope and renewal, BrokenTruth.TV brings you an inspiring story of perseverance and justice. Host John Davidson and co-host Jennifer Kennedy Esq. sit down with Attorney John Coyle Esq. from New Jersey to discuss a hard-fought legal triumph for two veteran firefighters who stood firm against unconstitutional COVID-19 vaccine mandates. This episode uncovers the shocking details of their ordeal and the broader fight for religious freedom in America.
The case centers on Greg Giordano and John Kozak, elite firefighters with the Maplewood Fire Department. Giordano served for 24 years, while Kozak was a deputy chief with 23 years of experience. As Coyle explains, “Maplewood was one of the few municipalities in New Jersey that imposed a COVID-19 mandate. The state didn’t mandate it.” Both submitted religious exemptions but were denied, leading to what Coyle calls a “Stalinist show trial” that “violated every possible rule of due process or even known policies.”
The trial was a farce: “They were supposed to have a trial by three chiefs. Instead, they were tried by the business administrator who denied them in the first place. They were denied the right to call witnesses. The town declined to present any witnesses, didn’t respond to discovery, and presented no testimony except the business administrator who said, this is what happened. And we said, can we question you? And he said, no.”
Kennedy draws parallels to similar injustices in California: “What you’re describing is what happened right here in the city of Los Angeles with what we call the sham boards of rights, where they put these firefighters on trial, basically didn’t let them bring evidence.”
After a four-year battle across multiple legal fronts, including the Public Employee Relations Commission and federal court, the firefighters prevailed. Maplewood was forced to restore full back pay to 25 years, provide full retirement pensions, and pay over $1.25 million in settlement. Coyle notes the hypocrisy: “Maplewood granted medical exemptions for firefighters and police officers and they fired these two people saying they couldn’t possibly be accommodated.” He highlights the absurdity, pointing out that neighboring departments without mandates shared resources, making the safety claims untenable.
The discussion dives into the landmark Supreme Court case Groff v. DeJoy, which raised the bar for employers claiming “undue hardship” in religious accommodation cases. Coyle shares how it’s shifting the tide: “Groff was a reversal from the Third Circuit... undue burden means undue in the course of the business and burden as in something outside of anything normally expected by the business.”
The rights that are being taken from everybody and the normalization of discrimination can’t be allowed to continue.”
Yet challenges remain. Kennedy laments disparities between circuits: “We’re seeing in the Ninth Circuit is they are ignoring Groff when it comes to COVID, quote, vaccination.” Coyle emphasizes the bigger picture: “This isn’t about COVID. This is about COVID, but it isn’t about COVID. The rights that are being taken from everybody and the normalization of discrimination can’t be allowed to continue.”
The human cost is profound. Giordano had to sell his house and relocate, while both men endured financial and emotional strain. Coyle praises their resolve: “These two brave firefighters... stuck to it and said, we’re going to make this as best we can.”
As public sentiment evolves, Coyle sees hope: “The further you got away from COVID, it started slowly sinking in that, like, maybe we’re lying... I think in the next year two years we are going to see all this cemented and walked back.”
Don’t miss this riveting conversation on religious rights, legal strategies, and the ongoing battle against mandate overreach. Tune in to the full podcast on BrokenTruth.TV for more insights from these warriors for truth. Merry Christmas—may this victory inspire us all.
