Longtime NBA Referee Refused Vax For Religious Beliefs

Ken Mauer, a former NBA referee, was in service for 36 seasons before being fired by the league for failing to get the COVID vaccine.

Jason Whitlock interviewed Mauer and he revealed to Whitlock that he was unable to officiate NBA games this season because he didn’t get the vaccine. This violated his religious beliefs. Unfortunately, the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement required referees to get the jab in order to keep their jobs.

Mauer, a lifelong Catholic, said that the biggest reason why he did not want to get the vaccine was because after “doing his own research,” he concluded that aborted fetal tissue was used in the development of the vaccine, something that violated his conscience and was enough for to sacrifice his livelihood in order to follow (a worthy conclusion).

“I never thought that my faith in our Lord Jesus Christ would prevent me or stop me or get in the way of me refereeing NBA basketball games. And that’s about it in a nutshell and that’s what’s happened,” Mauer said. “Not to just me, but other people.”

Those “other people” included a group of 17 referees that did not want to get vaccinated, but that group dwindled down to just Riley and three others by opening night. Riley plans to stand firm on his position until the end.

“There are many referees that didn’t want to take the vaccine. There are many referees that were required to do so because of their children’s health, families and bills. … They’re scared and I’m not. I’m never going to take the vaccine,” Mauer said.

That is what you want to see: independent, faith-based men of conviction who stand by their beliefs even when the richest business in the nation took his livelihood. There were times when the temptation was strong to remain. The salary was fair (the NBA Referees’ lowest ever annual income was $180,000), and he was highly respected by his peers. He also had all the comfort that life could offer.

However, even this was insufficient to change his mind. Each man’s religious beliefs and the freedom to think for ourselves should be more important than our livelihood, for what can a man hold onto if not for God and conscience? Jobs come and go, but our beliefs should stay forever – something Mauer’s story should remind all of us.