Summarised by Centrist
A Michigan jury has awarded USD$12.6m (NZD$21.2m) to Lisa Domski, a former Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) employee, after she was fired in 2022 for refusing a COVID vaccine on religious grounds.
The jury granted Domski USD$10m (NZD$16.8m) in punitive damages, alongside other financial compensations. Her attorney, Noah S. Hurwitz, noted that “a diverse jury of her peers saw through the company’s bogus decision” to terminate her after 38 years.
Hurwitz implied that BCBS set a narrow standard for religious accommodation, “meant to stamp out religious beliefs,” restricting rather than genuinely considering employees’ beliefs. Domski’s complaint stated that BCBS did not accommodate her beliefs despite her remote work, which would not impact other employees’ health. Her legal team claimed that BCBS rejected over 500 similar religious accommodation requests and terminated hundreds of employees for vaccine refusal. BCBS, however, maintained it did not discriminate, arguing Domski’s beliefs were insincere.
Domski’s complaint alleged BCBS ignored guidance from the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which advises organisations to accept religious accommodation requests as genuine unless proven otherwise. In its statement, BCBS indicated it would consider its legal options and held that Domski’s beliefs were not sincerely held.
