In a major legal and moral victory for religious liberty advocates, Marina Shinderuk, a former 9-1-1 Police Communications Supervisor with the Seattle Police Department, has secured a seven-figure settlement from the City of Seattle—the largest known payout related to COVID-19 vaccine mandate terminations in the city to date.
Shinderuk, a 14-year veteran of the 9-1-1 call center, was terminated in November 2021 despite receiving a religious exemption from the city’s COVID vaccine mandate. The City, while publicly claiming to offer fair exemption reviews, refused to accommodate her, prompting a legal fight that would ultimately expose not just bureaucratic failure, but what some now call a coordinated act of deception by City leadership.
A Process “Designed to Deceive”
A recent bombshell report has cast new light on Seattle’s handling of vaccine mandate exemptions. At the center of the controversy is an October 13, 2021, meeting of department heads during which Adrienne Thompson, a senior advisor to then-Mayor Jenny Durkan, allegedly told department leaders that no religious accommodations would be approved, despite a public process that suggested otherwise.
Seattle Fire Department Deputy Chief Tom Walsh later described the process as “a sham,” claiming City leadership had predetermined outcomes before any applications were even reviewed. Numerous employees, including firefighters and 9-1-1 dispatchers, have since come forward saying they were misled into believing their exemption requests would be considered in good faith.
For Marina Shinderuk, this confirmed what she already suspected: her termination was not about safety, it was about politics.
“The City knew they were opening themselves up to lawsuits and chose to move forward anyway,” Shinderuk said. “It’s easy to gamble with public funds when you don’t bear the personal consequences.”
From Ukraine to Seattle Public Service
Marina’s story begins far from City Hall. She immigrated to the United States from Ukraine as a child, raised in a devout Christian family that lived modestly and refused government handouts. She began working at age 18 in the airline industry, and after a layoff in 2008, she pivoted to public service by joining Seattle’s 9-1-1 call center.
Over the next 14 years, Marina rose from Telecommunicator to Dispatcher, and finally to Police Communications Supervisor in 2019. Known for her professionalism and calm under pressure, she received multiple commendations, trained new dispatchers, and worked grueling schedules—often 52 to 56 hours a week—to keep the city safe during emergencies.
Even during the height of the pandemic and anti-police protests in downtown Seattle, Marina reported to work at the West Precinct, walking past hostile crowds and graffiti to make sure 9-1-1 calls were answered. She volunteered for overtime, participated in charity events, and assisted with crisis line work for first responders. Her dedication, however, meant nothing when City Hall decided to enforce its mandate with zero tolerance for dissent—even from those with legally protected religious beliefs.
Terminated Without Recourse
In August 2021, Mayor Durkan’s administration announced the vaccine mandate. Marina, standing firm in her religious convictions, applied for and received a religious exemption. Initially, the City promised accommodations—masks, distancing, testing—all of which she agreed to.
But then the City reneged.
Despite offering multiple alternative arrangements—including remote work, relocation within the office, or enhanced safety protocols—Marina was never given an accommodation. Instead, she was terminated five weeks after receiving her exemption, dismissed over a brief Zoom call and a form letter. Her requests were never seriously considered.
Personal and Public Costs
At the time of her firing, Marina was a single mother of three. The termination cost her more than just her job—it cost her her pension, healthcare, and financial stability. Unable to find similar employment in Seattle, she was forced to sell her home and move to the Midwest, uprooting her children and starting over from scratch.
Meanwhile, the City was left struggling to replace her during a critical shortage of first responders, losing not only her experience but also her training and supervision of others.
Fighting Back
After exhausting all administrative channels, Marina filed a religious discrimination lawsuit against the City of Seattle. She did it not only to make her family whole, but to send a clear message: cities cannot trample constitutional rights without consequence.
She spent over two years gathering documents, conducting interviews, and building her case. With the help of her attorney, Robert Bouvatte, she forced the City into a record-breaking settlement.
“My firm secured an $875,000 settlement for a wonderful client, Marina Shinderuk,” Bouvatte said. “Let it be known that when Seattle and other governments discriminate against their employees’ religious practices in pursuit of a political agenda, people like Marina and lawyers like myself will hold them accountable.”
A Precedent for Others
Marina’s legal victory is now seen as a potential precedent for other lawsuits stemming from the mandate. Among them is Vale et al. v. City of Seattle, a case involving 39 terminated firefighters, and Brett Rogers v. City of Seattle, filed in March 2025 by a former transportation employee. Both cases allege religious discrimination.
Legal experts suggest that Marina’s case has exposed systemic flaws in how the City processed exemption requests and may shape the outcomes of future cases.
A Call for Support and Accountability
While Marina’s case is a landmark victory, it came at significant personal cost. She did not use a contingency-based attorney—she paid upfront legal fees from her own pocket. Only after reluctantly agreeing to accept public help through crowdfunding was she able to keep her legal fight going.
“This case was never about religion or the safety of the vaccine,” Marina said. “It was about holding government accountable to the law. If COVID taught us anything, it’s that government will exploit fear to grow its power. Unless we impose a cost for that behavior, it will happen again—and worse.”
The City of Seattle declined to comment.
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