A religious Catholic was awarded almost $13 million in a discrimination lawsuit claiming she was fired in 2022 for refusing to observe her firm’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate because it was in opposition to her faith.
Lisa Domski, an IT specialist for the Blue Cross Blue Protect of Michigan (BCBSM), had labored for the corporate for a mixed whole of almost 40 years earlier than the non-profit canned her for not getting the jab.
BCBSM carried out a compulsory vaccination coverage for its workers in Oct. 2021, requiring all workers to be absolutely vaccinated from COVID-19 until they apply for spiritual or medical lodging.
The corporate gave all workers till Dec. 8, 2021, to stick to the mandate.
Regardless of following the suitable channels supplied by BCBSM for workers to file for a spiritual exemption, Domski’s request was denied, in keeping with a discrimination lawsuit initially obtained by the Epoch Instances.
Domski, a faithful Catholic from Wyandotte, Michigan, declined the pictures as a result of she believed the vaccines that had been in circulation on the time had been both examined or developed utilizing fetal cells that had been obtained from abortions, the Catholic Herald reported.
After denying the request, BCBSM allegedly threatened their longtime worker with termination if she didn’t comply to the mandate.
Domski nonetheless refused and was in the end fired on Jan. 5, 2022, following an almost month-long unpaid depart of absence, in keeping with the swimsuit filed within the US District Court docket of Jap Michigan in Aug. 2023.
She was amongst almost 250 workers fired by the corporate after requesting a spiritual exemption to the mandate.
The corporate claimed in courtroom filings that Domski lacked a sincerely held spiritual perception.
Domski had transitioned to a full-time distant employee through the pandemic and had already been working 75% of her job from dwelling earlier than the pandemic hit in 2020.
The corporate claimed to have been unaware of Domski’s faith regardless of her petition containing the contact data for her priest and parish.
BCBSM carried out a collection of interviews for all the staff that had requested exemptions from the mandate however the course of was “arbitrary and woefully inconsistent,” in keeping with the swimsuit.
Domski’s lawyer questioned the rationale for mandating a completely distant employee to be vaccinated regardless of clients or contractors on the premises needing the vaccine.
“This was a woman who was working from home in her basement office who wasn’t a threat to anybody and was completely fulfilling all of her job obligations for 38 years,” Jon Marko instructed Fox Information.
“They made up their minds that they were going to discriminate against people who had sincerely held religious beliefs,” he added.
A jury in Detroit federal courtroom present in favor of Domski and awarded her $12.69 million in whole damages.
Of the almost $13 million acquired, $10 million was marked as “punitive damages,” almost $1.7 million for misplaced pay and one other $1 million in noneconomic damages.
BCBSM denied any discrimination in opposition to Domski and had been wanting into choices to enchantment following the decision.
“While Blue Cross respects the jury process and thanks the individual jurors for their service, we are disappointed in the verdict,” the well being insurer mentioned. “Blue Cross is reviewing its legal options and will determine its path forward in the coming days.”
Marko celebrated the courtroom verdict, calling it a “major victory” that “sets a powerful precedent as similar suits continue to emerge nationwide,” he mentioned on Fb.
With Submit wires.
