ABC has requested a judge to shut down former General Hospital star Ingo Rademacher’s plea for a trial against the network, months after his lawsuit was dismissed. According to court documents obtained, the network asked for Ingo’s motion to be denied. Ingo, 53, sued ABC in 2021, claiming wrongful termination from his role as Jasper ‘Jax’ Jacks, which he played on and off for 25 years.
He was dismissed after refusing to comply with ABC’s mandatory COVID-19 vaccine policy for cast and crew. Ingo requested a religious exemption from the vaccine but said the executives denied his request and fired him, which he claimed was a violation of his right to privacy and religious discrimination. ABC denied all allegations of wrongdoing, insisting that Ingo’s decision to not get the vaccine was not based on any religious beliefs.
In June 2023, a Los Angeles judge dismissed the case and sided with ABC before a trial could take place.
abc seeks trial plea denial
Ingo appealed the decision and recently asked for a trial, highlighting that his former co-star Steve Burton, who was also fired for refusing to get vaccinated, was rehired by General Hospital in January 2024.
Ingo’s lawyer argued that Steve Burton’s rehiring undermined ABC’s position that Ingo’s political beliefs did not impact the firing decision in 2021. The lawyer stated, “ABC’s rehiring of Mr. Burton indicates that political animus played a role in Ingo’s termination.”
In response, ABC’s lawyers dismissed the relevance of Steve Burton’s rehiring, arguing it was “completely irrelevant, inadmissible and would not raise a triable issue of fact in this case.” They explained that Burton was rehired in 2024, “years after the end of the COVID-19 global health emergency and after Disney’s vaccine mandate was no longer in effect.
Thus, his rehiring has no logical impact on [Ingo’s] claims.”
ABC’s attorneys further stated that nothing in the previous court order indicated consideration of Burton’s termination when the Motion for Summary Judgement was granted. They emphasized that Burton’s rehiring does not constitute newly discovered evidence that would justify a new trial. A judge has yet to rule on the latest request.
