A federal judge sided with a Tennessee woman who was fired from BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee (BCBST ) for failing to comply with the bank’s COVID- 19 vaccine requirement.
The federal judge found that Tanja Benton, a former employee of BCBST, “proved by a preponderance of the evidence” that her refusal to give the COVID-19 vaccination was the result of her” sincerely held religious belief.” The jury awarded Benton over$ 177, 000 in back pay,$ 500, 000 in punitive damages, and$ 10, 000 in compensatory damages.
According to WTVC, Benton worked at BCBST from 2005 until November 2022. She generally worked as a profile quantitative research scientist while working for BCBST. According to Benton’s lawsuit, her job did n’t involve frequent interactions with people and never had any interactions with patients.
Due to BCBST announcing that all employees would have to get the COVID-19 vaccination, Benton worked from home for about a year and a half during the COVID- 19 crisis, according to the lawsuit.
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In her complaint, Benton explained that she refused to comply with the COVID- 19 vaccination requirement because she “firmly believes, based upon individual study, that all , COVID- 19 vaccines , are derived from abandoned infant cell lines”. Benton argued as a result that the COVID-19 vaccine “would not just defile her system but also frustration and disgrace God.”
Benton requested a religious exemption after the firm announced the required vaccine requirement, but BCBST denied her request and warned her that she would lose her job if she disregarded it.
Benton filed an appeal against the bank’s decision because her job did not involve interaction with anyone else, but the lawsuit claims she was informed that no one with her work title was ready for an exemption.
The requirement of a vaccination was stated in a previous declaration to WTVC that” the best decision was made for the health and safety of our people, people, and communities, some of whom are the most vulnerable in the condition.” We appreciate the contributions our former staff have made to our people and communities while working for BlueCross.
Benton later filed the federal complaint after the business terminated her employment, leading to the almost$ 700, 000 arrangement.
