A Michigan woman who was fired for refusing to get the coronavirus vaccine because of her “sincerely held” Catholic faith has won a major lawsuit.
A jury in Detroit on Friday awarded nearly $13 million in damages to Lisa Domsky, who was fired from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan for refusing a shot. Of the $12.69 million awarded to her, $10 million was in punitive damages, $1.7 million in lost wages, and $1 million in non-economic damages. monthly lawyer Reported.
“This victory is about more than compensation. It's about standing up for employee rights.”
Mr. Domsky, an IT specialist from the Detroit suburb of Wyandotte, worked for BCBS in Michigan for a total of 38 years, but was suspended in 2022 after requesting a religious exemption from the company's vaccine mandate several months ago. He was fired in January.
Around Nov. 1, 2021, BCBS in Michigan announced that all employees, including those who work mostly remotely like Mr. Domsky, must be vaccinated by Dec. 8 or have a religious exemption. announced that it is necessary to apply for
Domski chose to apply for a religious exemption because of his beliefs. lawsuit She said she had “sincerely held religious beliefs.” Afterwards, he was not allowed to have his lawyer present and was bombarded with questions from company officials, such as, “What do you do when your body hurts?'' “Do you take aspirin, Sudafed, Tums, or Tylenol?'' “Do you always follow this religious belief?'' the lawsuit alleges.
Domsky even provided the official with his parish and the name of the priest, but to no avail.
BCBS of Michigan placed a number of employees on unpaid leave of absence on January 5, 2022, after authorities investigated the sincerity of her religious beliefs, as well as those of other employees applying for exemptions. About 250 people, including Domsky, were laid off. In response to Domsky's lawsuit, the company said it “allowed other unvaccinated employees who did not share Plaintiff's religious beliefs to be exempt from vaccine requirements.”
Now, three years later, Domsky and her attorney, John Marco, are calling the jury's decision “big victory“In the fight to protect religious freedom.
“Our ancestors died fighting for the freedom of each American to practice their religion. Neither government nor corporations have the right to force individuals to choose between their career and their conscience,” Marco said. said in a statement. Blaze news.
“Lisa refused to renounce her faith and beliefs and was unjustly fired from the only job she ever knew. Today's jury verdict affirms for BCBSM that religious discrimination does not exist in America and that every… It affirms a person's right to religious freedom.”
As expected, Michigan's BCBS was less enthusiastic about the decision, expressing gratitude to the jury and the process but saying it was disappointed in the outcome.
“Throughout the pandemic, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan worked alongside our employees to promote the health and safety of our colleagues, stakeholders, and communities,” the company said in a statement. TNND.
“In implementing our vaccine policy, Blue Cross has designed an adaptation process that complies with state and federal law and respects the sincerely held religious beliefs of our employees.”
The company also indicated that it was still considering its “legal options” to determine its “path forward.”
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