WORCESTER, Mass. — A former UMass Memorial Health employee who was terminated in 2021 for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine has won the right to revive her lawsuit.
A Massachusetts appeals court ruled that the hospital failed to prove that accommodating the employee’s religious beliefs would cause undue hardship.
The woman had requested a religious exemption, arguing that her body is a “temple of God” and that the vaccine mandate violated her right to religious freedom.
UMass Memorial Health fired nearly 200 unvaccinated employees in December 2021.
UMass Memorial provided the following statement:
“UMass Memorial does not comment on specific, pending litigation. Our organization, however, is proud of the heroic efforts by our caregivers who worked tirelessly through the COVID-19 pandemic under the most trying and uncertain of times. In accordance with federal law and to provide a safe environment for all members of our community – including the immuno-compromised – UMass Memorial implemented a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for all employees. UMass Memorial reviewed and approved when appropriate requests for religious accommodation from the mandate. UMass Memorial is confident in the fairness with which it treated such requests and remains committed to being a welcoming and inclusive workplace for all members of our community.”
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
©2025 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/7QOJU3BNCJERBNKJC5LWTBYFLU.png)
