Santa Clara University Defeats Renewed Application for TRO Seeking to Stop Implementation of University’s COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate

Representing Santa Clara University and two SCU employees, Paul, Weiss overcame a new legal challenge to the university’s COVID-19 booster mandate, defeating plaintiffs’ renewed application for an immediate stay, temporary restraining order and order to show cause regarding a preliminary injunction.

In their lawsuit filed on March 7 in Santa Clara Superior Court, two SCU students and a religious organization brought various constitutional, contractual and tort claims seeking to block the mandate’s implementation. On March 17, following briefing by the Paul, Weiss team, the court denied a similar, initial TRO application.

In contesting the renewed challenge, the Paul, Weiss team once again argued that the plaintiffs failed to demonstrate a likelihood of success on the merits and that the relative harm to SCU and its community from granting the application far outweighs any harm to the plaintiffs. In its short order, the court denied the application on the merits.

The Paul, Weiss team included litigation partners Randy Luskey, Liza Velazquez and Gregory Laufer and counsel Maria Keane.