By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Maxwell Book
BBC - Guardian UK - Honduras - ESPN
SDNY COURTHOUSE, March 4 – The Federal Reserve Bank of New York wants to fire longtime employees Lori Gardner-Alfred of The Bronx and Jeanette Diaz of Bayonne, New Jersey for not being vaccinated against COVID-19.
The two women won a temporary restraining order in New York State court. But the FRBNY removed the case to Federal court and Friday argued to dissolve the TRO and fire the women, saying that their harm is not irreparable.
On March 4, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Judge Lewis J. Liman held a proceeding. Inner City Press covered it.
FRBNY in-house lawyer Alex Leonard argued the TRO should be immediately lift. The women, representing themselves, asked for time to respond to the papers the Fed, their employer for decades, had just given them.
Judge Liman to his credit did give them time, until Sunday to file their response to his chambers by email. Then, it should be docketed.
Jeanette Diaz asked about the FRBNY's definition and denial of religious exemptions. Judge Liman said perhaps Mr. Leonard could answer. But he said no, that would be getting in to the merits and the Fed's focus was getting the TRO dissolved and presumably firing the employees.
Inner City Press, which recently reported on the FRBNY approving a bank merger application on a delegated basis - the FRBNY as a private not governmental entity has no authority to deny any merger application - by Berkshire Bank with a rare Needs to Improve rating in New York under the Community Reinvestment Act, here.
To the immediate petition for review to the Fed Governors in DC, there has been no response. We will have more and on this.
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