Healthcare Workers Awarded $10 Million In Settlement With Chicago Health System Over Vaccine Mandate
In a lawsuit filed by medical staff regarding an Illinois university system’s coronavirus vaccine mandate,
the first settlement in the nation has been reached, alleging that healthcare workers were discriminated against because they were denied religious exemptions from the company’s vaccine mandate.
On Friday the Center Square reported:
Agreeing to pay more than 500 current, and former health-care workers a total of $10,337,500, as part of the terms of the settlement, the Chicago-based NorthShore University HealthSystem has also changing its policy to accommodate religious exemption requests, and is rehiring former employees who were fired or forced to resign when their exemption requests were denied.
The NorthShore employees were represented by the nonprofit religious freedom organization Liberty Counsel. The alleged discrimination against them, occurred when they were denied religious exemptions from the company’s vaccine mandate. In the federal Northern District Court of Illinois, the settlement was filed on Friday. Liberty Counsel said the settlement, must receive approval, from the federal District Court, according to a press release.
Employees who were denied religious exemptions, according to the group, would be notified about the settlement and given the chance to comment, object, ask to opt-out, or submit a claim form for payment from its fund. Saying it should be “a wake-up call, to every employer that did not accommodate or exempt employees who opposed the COVID shots for religious reasons,” said Mat Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel in addressing the settlement. He added
“NorthShore will also change its unlawful ‘no religious accommodations’ policy to make it consistent with the law, and to provide religious accommodations in every position across its numerous facilities,” and…
“Let this case be a warning to employers that violated Title VII. It is especially significant and gratifying that this first classwide COVID settlement protects health care workers.”
- Mat Staver, Liberty Counsel Chairman
On Friday, Liberty Counsel, in a social media post, declared that the settlement was a “HISTORIC WIN FOR MEDICAL FREEDOM!”
HISTORIC WIN FOR MEDICAL FREEDOM! Health care workers win $10.3 MILLION settlement in class action lawsuit over COVID shot mandate. https://t.co/MdkUdndAYw
As reported July 13 by Breitbart News – In contrast, the Biden administration’s military mandate, still numbers approximately 260,000 American troops among those not fully vaccinated, many of whom face the possibility of being discharged. Joe Biden and his military cronies should take a lesson here.
Denying anyone, their exercise of religious freedom, and further subjecting or pursing punitive measures against any U.S. citizen, who dares to exercise their rights, is unconstitutional and morally wrong. The Biden administration should be held accountable for any side-effects experienced by those who were mandatorily vaccinated, and for those who are objecting to the vaccine mandate, and are subject to reprisals at this point. Freedom means just that – freedom.
“There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right.”
