A federal court granted judgments to PeaceHealth in lawsuits filed by four former hospital employees who were put on unpaid leave in 2021 after refusing the COVID-19 vaccine because of religious beliefs.
The May 31 rulings granted PeaceHealth’s motions for summary judgment in separate lawsuits alleging religious discrimination.
The former employees at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend — two nurses, a pharmacy technician and a housekeeping worker — received religious exemptions after declining the vaccine, but argued they could have stayed on the job if given frequent tests for the coronavirus and provided N95 respirators as personal protective equipment…