Liberty Counsel filed the motion for final approval of the class action settlement in the federal Northern District Court of Illinois lawsuit against NorthShore University Healthsystem, on behalf of more than 500 current and former health care workers who were unlawfully discriminated against and denied religious exemptions from the COVID shot mandate. Liberty Counsel settled the nation’s first classwide lawsuit over a COVID shot mandate, for more than $10.3 million.
Federal Judge John F. Kness set the final fairness hearing for December 19, 2022 at 9:00 a.m., in Jane Doe 1, et al. v. Northshore University Healthsystem.
As a result of the settlement, NorthShore will pay $10,337,500 to compensate these health care employees who were victims of religious discrimination, and who were punished for their religious beliefs against taking an injection associated with aborted fetal cells.
This is a historic, first-of-its-kind class action settlement against a private employer who unlawfully denied hundreds of religious exemption requests to COVID-19 shots.
As part of the settlement agreement, NorthShore has also changed its unlawful “no religious accommodations” policy to make it consistent with the law, and to provide religious accommodations in every position across its numerous facilities. No position in any NorthShore facility is considered off limits to unvaccinated employees with approved religious exemptions.
In addition, employees who were terminated because of their religious refusal of the COVID shots will be eligible for rehire if they apply within 90 days of final settlement approval by the court, and they will retain their previous seniority level.
If the settlement is approved by the court, it is estimated that employees who were terminated or resigned because of their religious refusal of a COVID shot will receive approximately $24,000 each, and employees to were forced to accept a COVID shot against their religious beliefs to keep their jobs will receive approximately $3,700 each. These payments should be made within 60 days of the court’s final approval of the settlement.
Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver said, “This classwide settlement involves health care workers who have been unlawfully discriminated against and denied religious exemptions from the COVID shot mandate. These heroes who daily give their lives to protect and treat their patients also must provide for their own families. This settlement should be a wake-up call to every employer that did not accommodate or exempt employees who opposed the COVID shots for religious reasons. Let this case be a warning to employers that violated Title VII.”
