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,โฃ handed down Monday, โallows Rachelleโค Jeune to reinstate her lawsuit alleging โขreligious discrimination.
Jeune initially โsought a religious exemption from the hospital’s vaccine mandate in 2021, articulating a deeply held beliefโ that โher “body is a temple of God” adn โคthat receivingโข the vaccine โฃwould violate her faith. She testified that she prayed for guidance and received โa 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 โsubsequently terminatedโค her employment.
The appeals court, however, found that the lower court erred in dismissing Jeune’s case. Citing established federal caseโ law, the court โฃresolute that Jeune’s โคbeliefs could โbe considered religious. “A plaintiffโฆwho believes that she was created in God’s image and โthat her bodyโ is a templeโ ofโฃ Godโฆexpresses โa religious belief,”โฃ the ruling stated. The court also acknowledged the religious importance of acting on “divine instructions” received throughโค prayer.
Crucially, theโค courtโ emphasized that UMass Memorial failed toโ demonstrateโ “undue hardship” in accommodating Jeune’s religious objections. The hospital has a policy of granting religious exemptions โand offered no evidenceโ that accommodating โJeune โขwouldโ pose a important burden. The courtโ pointed out thatโ UMass Memorial did not explore potential accommodations, such as a transfer to a different