Vaccination Discrimination Case Fails

Where a plaintiff sued, saying they were denied a religious exception to the employer’s COVID-19 vaccination requirement due to her religious beliefs, the defendant met its burden to articulate an undue hardship in granting the accommodation. The defendant’s motion for summary judgment was allowed.

WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT…Reasonable accommodation claims under discrimination laws are always subject to an undue hardship defense. Here, the defendant hospital showed that the employee’s work as an RN placed her in a precarious position to spread infection. Allowing her to remain unvaccinated would have increased the risk of spreading COVID-19 throughout the hospital and beyond. The accommodation would also impede its ability to provide a safe environment for vulnerable patients and negatively impact its reputation.