Nurse sues Novant Health Center in Matthews for alleged religious discrimination
Summary
Kristine Matthies, a nurse at Novant Health Matthews Medical Center, is suing the hospital for religious discrimination. Hired in 2016, Matthies requested a religious exemption from receiving the flu shot, citing her beliefs. While on leave to care for her father, her exemption request was denied without her knowledge, and she missed the appeal deadline. Previously, she had been granted an exemption for the COVID-19 vaccine. After submitting a late appeal, she was fired. The EEOC found reasonable cause to believe Matthies was denied a religious accommodation, violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Matthies is seeking $25,000 and other damages.
Relevance
Faith-based exemptions are often seen as a refusal to partake in practices on and for patients, but this is an interesting example of an individual seeking religious exemptions for something like a vaccine. Also, it is interesting to see how the hospital had allowed exemptions for the COVID-19 vaccine but not a flu shot.