A divided federal appeals court has ruled against a Marin County pharmacist who said her body was a temple of the Holy Spirit that had to stay free of harmful substances, rejecting her claim that she was illegally fired for refusing a COVID-19 vaccine on religious grounds. Maria Ledezma worked as a pharmacist for Optum Health in Rohnert Park starting in 2013 and was fired in December 2021 after she declined the shot required by her employer during the pandemic.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed Ledezma’s lawsuit against Optum Health Services in a 2-1 ruling yesterday, as reported by the San Francisco Chronicle. Ledezma had objected to vaccinations for many years before the pandemic mandate, and Optum required proof of vaccination as part of a broader industry response to state health rules. Judges Mary Murguia and John Owens, both appointed to the court by President Barack Obama, wrote that invoking a broad principle that sounds in religious terms does not transform Ledezma’s personal health judgment into a religious mandate.
How a Personal Health Choice Became a Legal Test
The case traces back to a January 2025 summary judgment order from U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria, who found that while Ledezma’s Catholic belief that her body is a temple of the Holy Spirit was sincere, her objection to the vaccine was grounded in personal health choices rather than religious doctrine, according to court records reviewed by Justia Law. Chhabria dismissed Ledezma’s lawsuit in 2024, saying she failed to explain her sincerely held religious belief or how it conflicted with Optum’s COVID-19 vaccination requirement.
Court records show Ledezma testified in her deposition that she practices her beliefs by caring for her body holistically, avoiding allopathic medications, and exercising what she called self-autonomy to decide what might harm her. The same records indicate her interpretation of the Bible gave her personal discretion over health decisions, which is part of why judges classified her views as personal health preferences rather than religious doctrine. The 9th Circuit majority found that Optum Health Services was entitled to conclude Ledezma’s objections were based on personal health preferences and a self-directed judgment about harmful substances.
A Sharp Dissent Over Religious Duty
Judge Patrick Bumatay, appointed to the court by President Donald Trump, dissented, arguing Ledezma’s religious duty impelled her to seek personal guidance from the Holy Spirit and that her religion commanded her not to introduce potentially harmful substances into her body. Bumatay wrote that Ledezma should be allowed to sue her former employer and try to prove religious discrimination. Lawyers for Ledezma and Optum Health did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the ruling, per the Chronicle’s report…