LEXINGTON, Ky. — A Kentucky riverboat captain who says he lost his job after refusing a COVID-19 vaccination on religious grounds can continue his lawsuit against American Cruise Lines, though the company’s president has been dismissed as a defendant.
In a Sept. 3 order, U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove ruled that former captain Richard Weyland’s constructive discharge claim under the Kentucky Civil Rights Act could proceed against the Connecticut-based cruise line. The judge, however, dropped company president Charles Robertson from the case, citing longstanding precedent that supervisors at private companies cannot be held personally liable under state or federal civil rights.
The captain’s allegations
Weyland, of Cynthiana, Ky., worked as a captain for American Cruise Lines from 2019 through 2021, piloting river cruises on the Snake and Mississippi Rivers. His complaint says he was celebrated internally for a 2020 feat moving a vessel solo from New Orleans to Astoria, Oregon — the only captain in company history to do so.
But by mid-2021, Weyland said he faced a dilemma. After months of extended duty during a staff shortage, the company announced it would replace negative COVID tests with a vaccine requirement for crew members. A devout Baptist, Weyland told managers he considered vaccination a sin and sought a religious exemption. He says he never received a clear response.
While piloting a cruise from New Orleans to Nashville that summer, Weyland’s ship ran aground near Paducah, Ky., after a mate veered off course. The Coast Guard opened an inquiry, but Weyland maintains he followed company policy by alerting his operations manager, who handled agency contacts. Days later, after helping passengers disembark, he was told he would not be assigned another tour. He contends the company effectively fired him rather than accommodate his beliefs.
Financial and personal toll
Weyland alleges the constructive termination left him unemployed for 19 months, forcing him to move to Texas for work. In his complaint, he seeks more than $1.8 million in damages for lost wages, benefits, relocation expenses, emotional distress, and punitive damages.
What the court decided
American Cruise Lines asked the court to throw out the case, arguing Weyland sued too late. The company says his July 2021 dismissal meant he had until July 2024 to file; he submitted his complaint on July 25, 2024. Weyland counters that his termination occurred days later, possibly keeping him within the three-year deadline. Judge Van Tatenhove ordered limited discovery on the timing issue before ruling whether the claim is barred by the statute of limitations.
The court’s order allows 120 days of fact-finding focused on the filing deadline. If the case survives that test, the lawsuit could head toward trial.
Broader implications
The case highlights lingering disputes over pandemic-era vaccine mandates and their intersection with religious rights. Weyland frames his firing as discrimination against his faith, while the company maintains it acted within its rights as an employer operating multi-state river cruises.
For now, the question before the court is narrow but crucial: whether Weyland filed his lawsuit in time. If judges later agree he did, a federal jury sitting in Lexington may ultimately decide whether the cruise line wrongfully forced one of its longtime captains off the river.