Illinois Hospital System Faces Lawsuit Over Allegations of Religious Discrimination
Advocate Aurora Health, a prominent hospital system based in Illinois, has come under scrutiny for allegedly violating federal law by refusing to accommodate a nurse’s religious beliefs. This situation escalated when the nurse was terminated for not receiving a COVID-19 vaccination, prompting the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to file a lawsuit.
According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, Advocate Health instituted a policy in 2021 that required all employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19, with the exception of those who could provide a valid exemption based on religious beliefs. The nurse in question requested such an exemption, recalling that Advocate Health had previously granted her a “lifetime” religious exemption from the flu vaccine. However, her request for an exemption from the COVID-19 vaccination was denied.
In alignment with her religious convictions, the nurse chose not to receive the vaccination. This decision led to her termination by Advocate Health, as stated in the lawsuit. Such actions are alleged to violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on religion and mandates that employers make reasonable accommodations for an employee’s religious beliefs, practices, or observances unless it would impose an undue hardship on the employer.
The EEOC has taken legal action in this case, filing suit under the case number EEOC v. Advocate Aurora Health, Inc. in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Prior to this lawsuit, the EEOC attempted to resolve the matter through its administrative conciliation process, seeking a pre-litigation settlement.
Source: EEOC
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Advocate Aurora Health, a prominent hospital system based in Illinois, has come under scrutiny for allegedly violating federal law by refusing to accommodate a nurse’s religious beliefs. This situation escalated when the nurse was terminated for not receiving a COVID-19 vaccination, prompting the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to file a lawsuit.
According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, Advocate Health instituted a policy in 2021 that required all employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19, with the exception of those who could provide a valid exemption based on religious beliefs. The nurse in question requested such an exemption, recalling that Advocate Health had previously granted her a “lifetime” religious exemption from the flu vaccine. However, her request for an exemption from the COVID-19 vaccination was denied.
In alignment with her religious convictions, the nurse chose not to receive the vaccination. This decision led to her termination by Advocate Health, as stated in the lawsuit. Such actions are alleged to violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on religion and mandates that employers make reasonable accommodations for an employee’s religious beliefs, practices, or observances unless it would impose an undue hardship on the employer.
The EEOC has taken legal action in this case, filing suit under the case number EEOC v. Advocate Aurora Health, Inc. in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Prior to this lawsuit, the EEOC attempted to resolve the matter through its administrative conciliation process, seeking a pre-litigation settlement.
Source: EEOC
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