Man says he was fired from Bronx-based catering company for refusing vaccine

A former employee of a Bronx company is suing after he says he was fired for not getting the COVID-19 vaccine.
For more than a year, Antonio Coronado says he was a dedicated employee of Mott Haven-based catering company Great Performances. That ended on May 26.
"They sent me an email, 'You cannot work for us anymore because you didn't have the vaccine,'" he claims.
The 35-year-old says he declined to get the vaccine for personal and religious beliefs as a Pentecostal.
"Body is perfect. God made us perfect and we shouldn't alter our body in any way," said Coronado.
He hired attorney David Schwartz, who filed a lawsuit against the Bronx business.
"This is probably the first case of its kind filed in New York. It violates New York state law, New York City law. There is no vaccine mandate," said Schwartz.
Great Performances responded in a statement, saying in part, "We engage in a cooperative dialogue with employees who request a reasonable accommodation based up a disability or a sincerely held religious belief. It is Great Performances' policy to refrain from further comment to the media about current litigation."
The company is denying violating any laws.
Coronado was open to being regularly tested for COVID-19 and wearing a mask, but says the employer did not agree to that.
Schwartz says Coronado was not the only employee who was affected.
"It was very important to set precedent and since then there have been other employees from this company that have contacted us and we're going to be speaking with them also," said Schwartz.
Coronado says he is not looking for a new job while he pursues the lawsuit.