SHELBY COUNTY, Tenn. — NEWS RELEASE FROM SHELBY COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE:
COVID-19 CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT DISMISSED
The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office is pleased to announce that the COVID-19 class action lawsuit has been dismissed with prejudice. The detainees and their lawyers previously agreed to forgo any payments or fees, except reimbursement for certain expenses.
The final action to be taken pursuant to the Consent Decree is to offer and administer the COVID-19 vaccine to detainees. This will be accomplished on Thursday, April 15, with either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine to be administered to every detainee in the Jail who has requested it. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine will NOT be administered.
The detainees receive educational materials about the vaccine. They know that there will be no punitive actions taken in connection with their decisions. Going forward, all detainees will be asked at booking if they would like to be vaccinated, and detainees who have previously declined the vaccine can easily change their minds and be scheduled for vaccinations.
The Sheriff’s Office will continue to follow the advice and guidelines of the CDC, the Tennessee Department of Health, and the Shelby County Health Department to ensure the safety of everyone in our facilities.
