Landmark Verdict: Federal Jury Rules in Favor of Religious Freedom in Vaccine Mandate Dispute
A federal jury has awarded $12 million to Lisa Domski, a Catholic woman who was terminated by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan after refusing to take the COVID-19 vaccine due to her religious beliefs. The jury found that the health insurance company violated federal and state laws when it denied her request for a religious exemption.
The lawsuit revealed that Blue Cross terminated 250 employees who had sought religious exemptions, with nearly 180 of them pursuing separate legal actions against the company.
Fired After 32 Years
Domski, an IT specialist who had worked remotely for Blue Cross for 32 years, was fired in January 2022 after her religious exemption request was denied. She objected to the vaccine mandate, citing her Catholic faith and its opposition to abortion. Domski argued that the three vaccine manufacturers—Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson—used aborted fetal cells in the testing or production of their COVID-19 vaccines, which conflicted with her deeply held beliefs.
Despite working remotely, Domski was not exempt from the company’s mandate. She submitted a written statement outlining her religious convictions, including contact information for her priest and parish. In court, Blue Cross argued that her request did not meet the criteria for a religious exemption and claimed it was unaware of her Catholic faith, despite having received her written declaration.
Breakdown of the Verdict
The jury determined that Blue Cross had violated both the 1964 Civil Rights Act and Michigan’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act by failing to accommodate Domski’s religious beliefs. They awarded her:
- $10 million in punitive damages
- $1.375 million for future lost wages
- $1 million for noneconomic damages
- $315,000 in back pay
A Broader Legal Battle
Domski’s case is just one among many. The nearly 180 other wrongful termination lawsuits against Blue Cross are scheduled to begin next year. The company has not admitted wrongdoing and stated it is “reviewing its legal options and will determine its path forward in the coming days.”
This verdict follows a similar case involving Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee, which settled for nearly $700,000 earlier this year. In that case, a federal jury found that the plaintiff’s refusal to comply with a vaccine mandate was based on a “sincerely held religious belief.”
Legal Experts Weigh In
Mat Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel, praised the jury’s decision:
“We commend this jury verdict, for the law is on the side of those who refuse an unlawful mandate for an experimental drug. Religious accommodations are protected by law, and blanket denials are not. There have been thousands of people fired across the country who still need justice. People should not have to choose between their faith and their job.”
Looking Ahead
As these lawsuits proceed, this landmark verdict may set a precedent for similar cases across the country, highlighting the ongoing legal and ethical debate surrounding vaccine mandates and religious freedom.
