More EEOC Religious Vaccine Exemption Lawsuits Filed

The EEOC is continuing to hold employers accountable for failing to provide workers with a religious vaccine exemption. Over the past few months, employers have been sued for millions of dollars for violating these religious rights – and the lawsuits show no sign of slowing down. Indeed, these lawsuits could be just the beginning – and it could help define employment laws in the United States well into the future. 

Healthcare Company Sued by EEOC for Not Providing Religious Vaccine Exemption

On December 26, 2024, multiple sources reported that the EEOC had sued a healthcare company in the United States for religious discrimination. The government organization accused this company of failing to respect a worker’s religious beliefs when she asked for an exemption from the mandatory COVID-19 vaccine. The employee states that she was granted religious exemptions for previous vaccines – but not during the pandemic. 

According to the EEOC, the company terminated her employment specifically because she failed to get the vaccine. The company’s policy was to allow workers to remain employed if they obtained a valid religious exemption. However, this specific employee’s request for an exemption was denied. The reason for this denial is not clear, and the company states that its policy is not to comment on pending litigation. 

A representative from the EEOC highlighted the importance of respecting American workers’ religious rights, explaining: 

“Employer-mandated vaccine policies must allow for religious accommodations for employees with conflicting sincerely held religious beliefs unless the accommodation imposes an undue hardship for the employer.”

JD Supra states that the employee in question was working remotely during the pandemic – making the company’s vaccine mandate even more dubious. Assuming she was not in contact with any other employees, one has to wonder why the company was so adamant about its vaccine mandate.

What Does This Mean for Future Pandemics?

It is important to remember that only genuine, sincerely held religious beliefs allow workers to pursue religious exemptions. The religious exemption is not a “cheat code” for avoiding vaccine mandates, and you cannot suddenly claim to be a devout Christian and expect legal protection. 

It is also worth mentioning that only certain religions allow workers to pursue vaccine exemptions. The main reason this exemption even exists is because stem cells were used in the development of the MRNA COVID-19 vaccine. Because stem cells are collected from aborted fetuses, this goes against some religious beliefs. 

According to Pew Research, most of these beliefs fall within certain Christian churches – including Catholicism, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Latter-Day Saints, and the Jehovah’s Witnesses. However, there are a few notable non-Christian faiths that also oppose abortion – including classical Hinduism. 

Assuming workers genuinely adhere to these faiths, the EEOC will likely provide similar levels of protection for all future pandemics. Aside from stem cells, there are many other elements to future and past vaccines that go against various faiths. For example, pig-based research and development creates vaccines unsuitable for Jews and Muslims. 

What does this mean for future pandemics? If the general public faces another widespread vaccine mandate, various religious faiths will undoubtedly allow workers to seek exemptions. This new string of lawsuits will also make employers think twice about firing religious workers for failing to accept mandatory vaccinations in the future. 

Following Religious Rights Cases

The question of religious exemptions to mandatory vaccinations has yet to be fully resolved in the United States. The basis of religious rights originated in the US Constitution, but there continue to be various challenges each week that test the exact limits and nature of religious rights in this country. The Universal Life Church’s blog focuses on documenting the most noteworthy of these cases. We strive to detail cases in a way that examines both sides to a matter as well as explains even the most complex issues in a way that can be quickly understood by readers.