Why is a New York Yankees’ Employee Suing the Mayor of NYC?

Weeks after making the decision to allow professional athletes to play home games in New York City regardless of vaccination status, New York City Mayor Eric Adams is in hot water, once again.

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NYC Mayor Adams Facing Lawsuit from Yankees' Employee

Virginia Alleyne has filed a class-action lawsuit against New York City Mayor, Eric Adams, according to an article from The New York Post. Alleyne was a waitress at the Legends Suite Club at Yankee Stadium for 17 years in total, and was put on unpaid leave back in September of 2021 because of her vaccination status. Alleyne claims she remains unvaccinated for religious reasons, but was not allowed to return to Legends for year No. 18.

Because of this, Alleyne has filed a class-action lawsuit in Manhattan Supreme against Mayor Eric Adams and New York City, and the city's recent decision to allow professional athletes to play in home games regardless of their vaccination status.

Though one would expect to see a lawsuit of this nature be filed in order to recoup lost wages, that is not the goal that Alleyne has in mind. She is, instead, filing the lawsuit based on principle, in an effort to see the mandate overturned, and a sense of fairness restored in New York City.

Alleyne is a mother of a 15-year old boy with autism, according to the article from the Post, and said that she struggled to keep food on the table for their family. She also asserted that thousands of working-class New Yorkers suffered from the same fate, a motivating factor in the suit, as well.

On the NYC Vaccine Mandate, and Its History

On March 24, 2022, New York City and Mayor Eric Adams lifted the vaccine mandate in the private sector for athletes, allowing unvaccinated members of New York City's sports teams to re-join their squads for home games. Among this group was New York Yankees' outfielder Aaron Judge, as well as Brooklyn Nets' point guard Kyrie Irving. While few other cases were confirmed, one has to imagine that a number of other Mets and Yankees players were subsequently allowed to return to the field.

Proponents of the mandate lifting praised Adams' decision, while critics called the move a double standard, and criticized the fact that other members of the private sector still have to abide by the vaccine mandate.

Now, Alleyne and her legal team have given some of those members of the private sector a voice to be reckoned with.