Former Blue Cross Blue Shield Employee in Michigan Wins $13 Million in Religious Discrimination Suit Over COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate

A former Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan employee was awarded a substantial $13 million in a lawsuit over religious discrimination stemming from her termination after refusing to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. As reported by

CBS News Detroit

, Lisa Domski, a longstanding employee with nearly four decades at the company, cited her devout Catholic beliefs as the basis for rejecting the vaccine, which, she asserted, used fetal cells in its development.

The company instituted a vaccine policy in October 2021, requiring all employees to be vaccinated or to obtain a religious or medical exemption. Blue Cross said it was designed to conform to state and federal law while respecting employees’ deeply held religious convictions. This information follows a statement released by Blue Cross, as per a

ClickOnDetroit

article. However, it is alleged that Blue Cross Blue Shield did not reach out to Domski’s priest to verify her claims and then denied her request for an exemption, which led to her being let go from her position.

Domski’s attorney, John Marko

, underscored that despite working remotely during the pandemic, she was no danger to others. This sentiment echoes in his comment

, as cited by

ABC News:

“She

wasn’t a danger to anybody.” While significantly awarding $10 million in punitive damages, the jury also allocated approximately $1.7 million for lost pay and $1 million for noneconomic damages.

Blue Cross Blue Shield expressed their respect for the jury process and disappointment at the verdict, as articulated in a statement. They are currently assessing their legal avenues to decide on future actions, indicating an appeal may be on the horizon.

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