Ian Patrick, FISM News
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On Friday, a federal District Court in Illinois issued a restraining order against NorthShore University HealthSystem for 14 workers who were denied a religious exemption to the healthcare system’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate. A preliminary injunction hearing is set for Nov. 16, at which point the restraining order will be up.
Liberty Counsel, which represents these 14 workers, is filing a brief “for conditional class status to extend the relief for the entire class of health care workers,” according to a statement.
In their statement, Liberty Counsel notes that NorthShore began denying workers a religious exemption to their COVID-19 vaccination mandate for failing to meet certain criteria that was not provided beforehand. The institution then gave employees just three business days to file an appeal if they were denied exemption. As part of the appeal individuals were forced to include their entire vaccination history in order for NorthShore to judge the “validity” of their religious request.
NorthShore also reportedly changed their exemption forms to warn that any objection based on “aborted fetal cell lines, stem cells, tissue or derivative materials will result in denials.”
Liberty Counsel writes “Illinois law dictates that employees at NorthShore University HealthSystem have the fundamental right to determine what medical care to accept and refuse.”
“In fact, Illinois has a Health Care Right of Conscience Act that provides strong protection to all residents against discrimination based on health care choices,” it added.
The judge in the court gave his temporary ruling, presuming the plaintiffs would win based off of this Health Care Act and on Title VII which bans discriminatory firing based on multiple conditions including religion.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, in an effort to quell any future and remaining conflicts with the vaccine mandate, is reportedly working to change or even abolish the Health Care Right of Conscience Act. In a statement, Deputy Chief of Staff for the governor Emily Bittner reportedly claimed that the law “was never intended to allow people to avoid public health guidance during a global pandemic.”
Mat Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel, said the health care employees fighting for their religious rights are “heroes.”
[Friday’s] ruling gave emergency relief to Liberty Counsel’s 14 plaintiffs who were threatened to be terminated by NorthShore University HealthSystem for their religious beliefs. This health care facility’s plans to purge employees who have sincere religious beliefs against the COVID shots has been foiled. These health care workers are heroes.