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ABC to Stand Trial for ‘General Hospital’ Firings During Covid-19 Vaccine Mandate

By Michael Fairman

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Photo: ABC

In a lawsuit filed by two former crew members of General Hospital, ABC will now have to face trial. The crew members are suing ABC on religious discrimination claims after they were fired for refusing the COVID-19 vaccination.

The Los Angeles judge’s ruling marks the first time there would be a trial over terminations due to the vaccine mandates adopted by major studios during the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, in the ruling delivered on Tuesday February 20th, involving ex-GH crew members, James and Timothy Wahl, it is said they may have had “sincerely held” religious beliefs that ABC should have accommodated by affording them exemptions, and allowing them to follow safety protocols implemented before the mandatory vaccine policy was rolled out.

Photo: ABC

This lawsuit began in 2022 when father and son James and Timothy Wahl, who previously worked in the special effects department of General Hospital, sued ABC after their requests for religious exemptions were denied. At the time, it was noted that ABC had uncertainty as to whether their objections to taking the vaccine were based on their Christian faith.

ABC had argued that the Wahls did not have genuine religious beliefs and that, even if they did, it could not have accommodated them without undue hardship. It also claimed that IATSE (union for crew members and behind the scenes personnel) waived any rights members had to object to mandatory vaccination policies.

Photo: JPI

In the summary judgment, the Los Angeles court came to the conclusion that ABC may have actually discriminated against the Wahls on the basis of their religion by failing to find a workaround situation for them when they refused to be vaccinated.

Unlike the case of Ingo Rademacher (ex-Jasper Jacks), in which the former General Hospital lost his lawsuit, the court noted that workarounds were not possible for actors performing onstage as it required him to work in very close proximity with other cast members without a mask, which could endanger their safety. The case for the Wahls also does not apply to the termination of Steve Burton (Jason Morgan) back in 2021. Burton is now back on the ABC soap opera following the lifting of the mandates.

However, in the case of the Wahls, they worked in the construction and special effects shops for GH, and while they, at times, had to go to “Zone A” of the production, where the cast films, they tested regularly for COVID-19, always wore a mask and did their best to socially distance from the cast.

So, what do you think of the judges ruling that ABC must face religious discrimination claims from two former crew members of General Hospital? Comment below.

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Ha ha good!

Could ABC “sue” you for impersonating one of their trademark name characters !!??

Sioux me!

Just say… remember when some OLTL characters went to GH while Prospect Park had the rights to them? Characters names are copyrighted. Google it.

I think Mr. Fairman has a article on it somewhere in his archives.

Get a job

Is than an out dated echo I hear??

It’s your mom calling your spaghetti os are ready.

You do bring shame to a wonderful character name the lovely and talent Kim Zimmer played. You could never compare.

Based on the information provided, it sounds like the crew members followed all safety protocols and did everything that was required of them. What’s the point of having religious or medical exemptions if they aren’t going to be respected by your employer? The fact that it came to people losing their jobs is crazy, especially given that now all mandates have been lifted and COVID is still around. I hope they win this case.

I would like to ask these mortals which “sincerely held religious beliefs” object to vaccines, because I seem to recall pretty much every religion endorsing vaccinations when they first rolled out. Catholics, Protestants, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus. And even the Devil myself.

Don’t remember if the Scientologists took any side officially, but I’m assuming they must have, because Tom Cruise never stopped working.

How about us Nihilists ??? A much easier existence !

Well… Nihilists are pretty much opposed to everything, so at least that would be consistent.

How charming! Who are the unlucky ones you kiss with that mouth?

Wow… what a “sincerely religious” response.

Satan, my apology for this response, but it was mistakenly sent to you somehow. . I don’t remember who it WAS supposed to have been meant for, but as you see it was 5 months ago, and I have the memory span of a Gnat, these days. Hope you can overlook this.

Honestly, I never saw it before now. So no worries. I’m also not sure who I was responding to since the thread is 5 months old. My best guess is that we both responded to a post which is no longer here because it was extremely rude, and probably bigoted, since there were antivaxxers involved.

Now I see another post below where somebody is even accusing me of supporting the MAGAtt bleach drinking “cures” so the entire thread seems to be an exercize in mass confusion

If you want to drink bleach or horse dewormer that’s up to you. But you have no right to possibly give someone else a disease that could possibly kill them – especially babies, those who are immunocompromised, or the elderly. We are still seeing 1500 people a day being hospitalized from this disease. Grow up & be responsible.

How dare you call yourself Satan and yet offer a solid, morally correct and logical take on vaccinations?

Like the mean-spirited comments posted under the name of “echo desavoy”, these are just regular plain folk who type on keyboards and hide behind comical names.

Sadly, this site had lost all the class it once had, well except for “Satan”, his comments are hilarious and do entertain. Can’t say the same for “echo desavoy” !

Satan always plays a good game of understood humor. Just like the soaps themselves, Don’t allow yourself to read to much into comments. Just laugh them off and carry on.

I am unaware of any Christian denomination that objects to vaccines. In fact, from what I remember, many different faith communities sponsored vaccination events at their houses of worship. I am no supporter of the alphabet network or the mouse company, but from what has been reported, it sounds like this lawsuit doesn’t hold water.

The religious excuse is such bs.

While I’m immediately skeptical when I read about “religious” objections to vaccines, I do wonder if there are (very limited) religious denominations that actually do object–for example, Christian Scientists. As I recall, they don’t do things like blood transfusions from other people (I think they can store up their own blood if they need it for an operation, but I could be wrong about that); anybody here know Christian Scientists’ stance on vaccines (ALL vaccines, not just the Covid one)? What about the Amish and similar groups that eschew many of the modern conveniences we take for granted?

I won’t prejudge, but it does sound as though because they worked behind the scenes and could do their jobs in more isolation, these two workers might have had a stronger case than Steve Burton and A-Dingo-Ate-My-Lawsuit. I’ll be interested to see how it plays out.

General Hospital

Kelly Sullivan Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’s’ Maura West Recalling When Ava Shot Connie (Exclusive)

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Maura West and Kelly Sullivan

It was just over 13 years ago on General Hospital when Ava Jerome (Maura West) shot and killed Kate Howard/Connie Falconeri (Kelly Sullivan) in an effort to keep her quiet from revealing that Derek Wells was actually Ava’s back-from-the-dead brother, Julian Jerome (William deVry). It’s a crime that somehow Ava never has quite paid for either.

The episode back aired on August 13, 2013 and viewers had to say goodbye to Kelly Sullivan who played Kate and her alter, Connie. In the story, just before she died, Kate/Connie scrawled the letters AJ in her own blood, initially making the PCPD and Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) think that it was AJ Quatermaine (Sean Kanan) who did the deed.

Now, Sullivan recalled sharing scenes with the three-time Daytime Emmy-winning West, during a live conversation on You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel. Kelly was the special guest talking about her recent return to the soaps in her new role as The Bold and the Beautiful’s Darcy Dylan.

Photo: JPI

FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF MAURA WEST

Speaking of her final GH scenes and working with Maura West, Sullivan gave her then GH co-star major props. “If you’re going to be shot by somebody (on the soaps), you want to be shot by Maura West, c’mon!”

Maura West debuted back in May 2013 as Ava, and Sullivan remembered when the As the World Turns favorite began on GH. “I remember when Maura West first arrived at GH. She walked in with this cute little bob (hairdo) and she’s just delicious,” shared Sullivan.

A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE

Kelly revealed more about Maura, adding “I think she’s amazing! I remember right before I left the show, someone suggested, and I would still love to do this with her, if she ever want to, but someone suggested that they wanted to direct the stage play A Streetcar Named Desire with Maura and I, where I would play Stella and she would play Blanche! Wouldn’t that be great?”

Speaking of the Ava/Connie showdown scenes, Sullivan expressed, “On television and on General Hospital specifically, Maura West is able to play a character who does the most horrendous things and you still care about her and that’s the mark of a really great actor. In other words, you’re able to be liked in the midst of the most horrendous things, and as a performer not shying away from that, and to just have the courage to do what’s on the page (in the script).”

Photo: JPI

KELLY SULLIVAN PARTING THOUGHTS AS SHE LEFT GENERAL HOSPITAL

Kelly also shared her sentiments when she walked off the set of General Hospital after her run back in August of 2013. “I really was honored. Every day I would go to work and I would say a little prayer, which is I want to do justice for my character, explained Kelly. “It’s between me and my character. I get to walk this path with her and to leave the show on that note, which is, I left every out there. I just gave it my all and again what an honor it was to play Kate/Connie.”

You can catch the full conversation with Kelly where she talks about her time on General Hospital, The Young and the Restless where she played Sage Warner and now The Bold and the Beautiful below.

So, do you remember the Ava and Connie scenes where Ava shot and killed her? What did you think of Kelly Sullivan’s sentiments about Maura West? Share your thoughts via the comment section. But first, watch the reveal where Ava recalls murdering Connie below!

 

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General Hospital

Steve Burton Reportedly Signs Three-Year Contract with ‘General Hospital’

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Steve Burton

The question of will Steve Burton (Jason Morgan) stay awhile at General Hospital after his recent extended hiatus from the show earlier this year, has reportedly been answered.

TMZ via court documents obtained in Burton’s ongoing legal battle with his ex-wife Sheree Gustin, shared that Steve actually inked a new three year deal with the ABC soap opera back in June.

That is significant because it was June when Burton returned back to work as Jason. In addition, the court filing confirmed that Burton had already moved back to California from Tennessee.

Steve Burton

Photo: ABC

STEVE’S HIATUS AND HIS RETURN TO PORT CHARLES

GH fans will recall, it was back in February of 2026, that Burton announced via his Instagram that he was stepping away from his role of Jason Morgan for short break and pointed to wanting to spend quality time with his new wife, Michelle Lundstrom Burton with whom he tied the knot back on May 17, 2025.

Steve expressed at that time, “I’m newly married and looking forward to spending some quality time with my family.” It was back on March 25 that viewers saw Jason carted away by the WSB after taking the fall for Rocco Falconeri (Finn Carr) who shot then WSB Director Ross Cullum (Andrew Hawkes).

Burton returned to work on June 1, and due to General Hospital taping roughly six weeks ahead of air, made his on-screen comeback on the July 13 episode.

GOING FOR GOLD AT THE UPCOMING DAYTIME EMMYS

Then, Steve and his enduring fans got an extra special treat on the same day, when it was revealed on Extra that he was nominated for the upcoming 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards in the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Daytime Drama Series category.

Steve previously won in the Supporting Actor category for his work as General Hospital’s Jason in 1998 and as The Young and the Restless’ Dylan McAvoy in 2018.

Now with Jason and Britt’s (Kelly Thiebaud) relationship seemingly hitting the skids, plus Jason’s commitment to staying out of mob life to focus on being present for his son Danny Morgan (Asher Antonyzyn), what does the future hold for the fan favorite character? Stay tuned.

So, happy to hear that Steve Burton signed a new three year deal with General Hospital? Knowing that, what storyline would you like to see Jason get involved and with who? Share your thoughts and theories via the comment section.

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General Hospital

GENERAL HOSPITAL: Jason and Britt Reach an Impasse; Is This the End of Their Relationship?

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Jason and Britt

On the Friday, September 11 episode of General Hospital, Jason (Steve Burton) and Britt’s (Kelly Thiebaud) relationship becomes strained to potentially the point of no return.

Things take a turn when an unglued Britt having been traumatized by almost being killed by Anna Devane (Finola Hughes) asks Jason to back her up with the PCPD when she reports Anna for attempted murder.

However, Jason told Britt, he can’t. Jason shares that he does not believe Anna would have gone through with shooting her. Therefore, Britt was not in any real imminent danger. Britt is flabbergasted and hurt that Jason is refusing to tell the police what he actually witnessed for himself on Mount Emerson.

Britt

Courtesy/ABC

BRITT WANTS BACK UP FROM JASON

Jason counters that he can’t believe that Britt would want Anna punished. or sent to prison, or a mental facility after the trauma she endured while being locked up and mentally tortured while at Wyndemere.

He asks Britt, “How could you even say that you want her locked up or prosecuted for what she did when you knew she was being held prisoner and you did nothing to save her?” Britt is stunned by Jason’s response.

Coming up, official General Hospital spoilers share that on the upcoming Monday, September 14 episode, Jason confides in Carly (Laura Wright), while Britt is stung. In the video preview that aired at the end of the Friday, September 11 episode for this coming Monday, Britt says to Jason, “You don’t believe me. Do you?”

General Hospital head scribes, Chris Van Etten and Elizabeth Korte previously teased in their fall preview of the soap, “Britt and Jason have come a long way and fought a lot of enemies to be together. But the most stubborn obstacle to their happiness isn’t without, it’s within. Decisions Britt made to stay alive while under Cullum’s thumb will come back to haunt her and may prove too difficult for this unlikely couple to survive.”

So, what do you think will happen? Will Jason and Britt break-up over Britt’s lies and Jason’s unwillingness to report Anna’s crime against her? Do you want Jason and Britt to go their separate ways? If they do, will Britt become romantically involved with Dr. Tristan Roberts (Dean Geyer) ? If so, who do you pair Jason with? Anyone? Weigh-in via the comment section.

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Jonathan Bennett joins the cast of GH as Joe Fitzpatrick. Catch the latest promo! Leave a comment.Leave A Comment

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