(CBS DETROIT) – A federal jury awarded a $13 million verdict to a woman who sued Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan over its COVID-19 vaccine.
Lisa Domski filed a lawsuit in August 2023 in the U.S. District Court Eastern District of Michigan Southern Division, claiming the health care system fired her after she refused to get the vaccine because of religion.
Attorney John Marko says Domski is a devout Catholic and has requested a religious exemption for the vaccine. Marko says Domski, who worked in the health care industry for nearly 38 years, provided a written statement explaining her beliefs and the name and contact information of her priest.
Marko claims that Blue Cross Blue Shield did not contact her priest and told Domski she could use her written statement. He says the health care system instead denied her housing and told her she would be fired if she didn’t get the vaccine. Domaski refused and was fired, he says.
Marko says Domaski was awarded $13 million, including $10 million in damages and $! million for pain and suffering.
“Our ancestors fought and died for the freedom of every American to practice his or her own religion. Neither the government nor any company has the right to force an individual to choose between his or her career and conscience,” Marko said in a statement. “Lisa refused to give up her faith and beliefs and was wrongfully fired from the only job she had ever known. “Today’s jury verdict tells BCBSM that religious discrimination has no place in America and affirms every person’s right to religious freedom.”
Statement from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
“Throughout the pandemic, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, along with its employees, has worked to promote the health and safety of our colleagues, stakeholders and communities. As part of that shared work, in October 2021, Blue Cross and its affiliates implemented a vaccine policy that requires all of its employees to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 or provided with a religious or medical accommodation. In implementing the vaccine policy, Blue Cross designed an accommodations process that complied with state and federal laws and respected the sincerely held religious beliefs of its employees. Although Blue Cross respects the jury process and thanks the individual jurors for their service, we are disappointed with the verdict.
