Former State Trooper with Rutherford County Ties May Pursue Retaliation Claim Over Cooper-era COVID Testing

A former North Carolina State Highway Patrol trooper who once worked in Rutherford County can move forward with a federal retaliation claim tied to his firing during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a court ruling issued on Jan. 12.

Chief U.S. District Judge Martin Reidinger ruled that Jonathan Daniel Williams presented enough evidence to pursue his claim that he was terminated in 2022 after raising objections to mandatory COVID testing and seeking a religious exemption. Sources said Williams previously served in Rutherford County during his time with the Highway Patrol.

The ruling allows the retaliation claim to proceed, but dismisses all other claims Williams brought against the state Department of Public Safety and five individual Highway Patrol supervisors.

“Viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the Plaintiff, the Plaintiff has presented a prima facie case of retaliation,” Reidinger wrote.

Court records obtained by WCAB News show Williams submitted a religious exemption request on Nov. 22, 2021, objecting to weekly nasal swab testing. A personnel complaint was filed against him the following day. He was later terminated for allegedly failing to comply with testing requirements, even though the court found he did not receive formal notice that his exemption had been denied — and that non-invasive testing was available — until Dec. 23, 2021.

After receiving that notice, Williams complied with the policy by submitting saliva-based COVID tests, which the judge noted were permitted under state guidelines.

Reidinger wrote that under those circumstances, a reasonable jury could conclude the state’s stated reason for firing Williams was a pretext for retaliation.

The dispute stems from a 2021 policy adopted by the Department of Public Safety in response to a COVID-related executive order issued by then-Gov. Roy Cooper. The policy required employees to either be vaccinated or undergo regular COVID testing.

Williams was fired on Jan. 24, 2022. His lawsuit will now proceed solely on the retaliation claim. He did not return an email request for comment.