Tennessee Woman Wins $687,000 Settlement After Being Fired for Declining COVID-19 Vaccine on Religious Grounds

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — A Tennessee woman was awarded nearly $700,000 in a settlement after a federal jury agreed that her termination from BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee (BCBST) was unjust. The company had fired her for not adhering to its COVID-19 vaccine mandate, which she opposed due to her religious beliefs. Tanja Benton, a former biostatistical research scientist at BCBST, challenged her 2022 dismissal in federal court, asserting that her refusal to receive the vaccine was rooted in a sincere religious conviction. The jury awarded Benton more than $177,000 in lost wages, $10,000 for emotional distress, … Read more

Landmark Verdict: California Jury Awards $41.49 Million to Fired NICU Nurse in Case against Kaiser Foundation

Los Angeles, California – A veteran neonatal intensive care unit charge nurse has been awarded $41.49 million in damages by a California jury. The nurse sued Kaiser Foundation Hospitals and Kaiser Foundation Health Plan Inc., claiming that she was wrongfully fired. The jury found in her favor, concluding that the nurse’s termination was unjust. The nurse, whose name has not been disclosed, alleged that she was fired in retaliation for raising concerns about the compromised safety protocols at the hospital. According to her complaint, she repeatedly reported instances where proper infection control measures were not … Read more