Hospital Employee Wins Appeal in COVID Vaccine Mandate Religious Exemption Case
Worcester, MA – A Massachusetts appeals court has overturned a lower court ruling, siding with a former UMass Memorial Health Care surgical technician who was fired for refusing teh COVID-19 vaccine on religious grounds. The decision, handed down Monday, allows Rachelle Jeune to reinstate her lawsuit alleging religious discrimination.
Jeune initially sought a religious exemption from the hospital’s vaccine mandate in 2021, articulating a deeply held belief that her “body is a temple of God” adn that receiving the vaccine would violate her faith. She testified that she prayed for guidance and received a message not to be vaccinated.
UMass Memorial denied her request,claiming her beliefs were based on “demonstrably false data” – specifically,the assertion that the vaccine could genetically alter her body. The hospital system subsequently terminated her employment.
The appeals court, however, found that the lower court erred in dismissing Jeune’s case. Citing established federal case law, the court resolute that Jeune’s beliefs could be considered religious. “A plaintiff…who believes that she was created in God’s image and that her body is a temple of God…expresses a religious belief,” the ruling stated. The court also acknowledged the religious importance of acting on “divine instructions” received through prayer.
Crucially, the court emphasized that UMass Memorial failed to demonstrate “undue hardship” in accommodating Jeune’s religious objections. The hospital has a policy of granting religious exemptions and offered no evidence that accommodating Jeune would pose a important burden. The court pointed out that UMass Memorial did not explore potential accommodations, such as a transfer to a different
