In 2021, two General Hospital actors, Ingo Rademacher (Jasper “Jax” Jacks) and Steve Burton (Jason Morgan) were fired because they would not comply with the Disney/ABC mandate that all employees must take the COVID-19 vaccine. Rademacher subsequently sued ABC, but in 2023, it was overturned by a judge who took ABC’s side. Since then, Burton was allowed to return to work earlier this year when the mandate was lifted, Rademacher is looking to have his case reopened.
He’s got new evidence supporting his claim
According to California court records of Rademacher v. Am. Broad. Cos., the actor claimed that ABC did not accommodate his religious beliefs for not complying with the vaccine mandate "And terminated him based on his political commentary on social media."
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In Touch reported that it further acquired documents backing up Rademacher’s statement that he has new evidence supporting his reason for reopening the case. Soap Central could not confirm the source of said documents, but the outlet shared several statements from Rademacher's lawyers. When his religious reasons for refusing to comply with the mandate were refuted in the lawsuit, Rademacher felt that the network’s argument violated his privacy. He also noted that a couple of producers allegedly reacted negatively to his political social media posts, with one even writing, "Ready for a recast!"
Rademacher also claimed that ABC presented documents detailing their decision to let him go well before the vaccine mandate had been implemented.
The outlet reported that Rademacher wants to present new evidence that provides compelling support for his political discrimination claim. Namely, evidence that ABC rehired Steve Burton, the other General Hospital actor it let go for not adhering to its mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy.
According to In Touch, Rademacher’s lawyer explained that ABC disagreed with his political viewpoint and wasn't just releasing him until the mandate was lifted as it did with Burton. Also, unlike Burton's situation, the potential for Rademacher to be recast was brought up.
After ABC revealed their documents in which producers used disparaging terms about him, Rademacher’s lawyer explained that the social media responses were "when the General Hospital writers supposedly ran out of ideas for his character."
In Touch also reported that Rademacher's lawyer said the new evidence was irrefutable because if the network was willing to rehire Burton, "Then ABC should also have rehired Ingo by now. It has not done that, and it won’t do that, because ABC had already decided to get rid of Ingo, to ‘recast’ his character because of his political beliefs."
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Whether his request to reopen his case happens remains to be seen.
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