Advocate Aurora Health, an Illinois-based hospital system, violated federal law when it refused to accommodate a nurse’s religious beliefs and fired her for failing to receive a COVID-19 vaccination, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit filed.
The EEOC’s lawsuit alleged that in 2021, Advocate Health implemented a policy mandating that all employees receive a COVID-19 vaccination unless they were granted an exemption because of their religious beliefs. A nurse requested a religious exemption in accordance with the policy, and although Advocate Health previously granted her a “lifetime” religious exemption from receiving the flu vaccine, it denied her request for an exemption from COVID-19 vaccination.
When the employee, consistent with her religious beliefs, declined to receive the vaccination, Advocate Health terminated her, according to the suit.
Such alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination because of an individual’s religion and requires employers to reasonably accommodate an employee’s religious beliefs, observance or practice unless doing so would cause an undue hardship.
The EEOC filed suit (EEOC v. Advocate Aurora Health, Inc., Case No. 1:25-cv-15411) in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its administrative conciliation process.
Source: EEOC
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