SAN FRANCISCO– A federal jury has sided with laid-off Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) workers who sued the agency, claiming they lost their jobs because of a COVID vaccination mandate.

There are six in total in the lawsuit and each will receive more than $1 million.

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Employees claimed religious exemptions from the vaccination requirement, but say they were ignored by the transit agency and subsequently lost their jobs.

BART initially granted exemptions for vaccines, but the plaintiffs argued they were not considered. An accommodation could have meant they could work from home or get tested regularly for COVID. They maintained that none of this had happened and that they had lost their jobs.

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In total, BART must now pay a total of $7.8 million to the six former employees.

BART is a transit agency that is already $350 million to $400 million in the red, but BART’s board voted eight to one for the 2021 vaccination mandate.

BART did not comment on Wednesday’s decision.