Dallas, TX - Thomas More Society is applauding the courageous testimony submitted by its client, Eric Jackson, a Coast Guard veteran whose multi-year battle for religious liberty helped expose systemic constitutional violations stemming from the Coast Guard’s COVID-19 vaccine accommodation process.

Jackson, who served 20 years in the Coast Guard, has been the lead plaintiff in the Thomas More Society lawsuit challenging the Coast Guard’s categorical denial of religious accommodation requests. He addressed the Religious Liberty Commission, established by President Donald Trump, to evaluate and safeguard service members’ constitutional rights.

In his written testimony, Jackson described the coercion, threats of dishonorable discharge, and discriminatory treatment he endured after requesting a religious accommodation based on his Christian beliefs. He urged the Commission to ensure that no service member ever again faces punishment or career sabotage for adhering to sincerely held religious beliefs.

“Eric Jackson’s story shows what can happen when military leaders forget their own obligations to the Constitution” said Nathan Loyd, counsel at Thomas More Society. “His willingness to speak openly after years of retaliation, threats, and bureaucratic stonewalling gives the Religious Liberty Commission firsthand evidence of how deeply broken the system was and how much work is still required. His resilience in the face of tremendous coercion has already triggered major changes in Coast Guard policies, and his testimony was another major step forward.”

Michael McHale, Senior Counsel at Thomas More Society, emphasized that Jackson’s testimony comes at a pivotal moment, as Thomas More Society nears a historic resolution with the Coast Guard:

“The Coast Guard’s unconstitutional actions harmed Eric Jackson and thousands of others. The Fifth Circuit finally recognized that the Coast Guard’s sham process and refusal to clear service members’ records demanded real accountability. Eric’s testimony seeks to ensure that abuses like these never happen again. His story reflects both the legal failures and the human cost of religious discrimination by our own government. This Commission now has the opportunity and the responsibility to ensure that religious liberty is never again treated as an afterthought in the military.”