AKRON, Ohio — Former workers from Akron Children’s Hospital who were fired after refusing to comply with the hospital’s vaccine mandate are now taking their battle to federal court. The 66 workers are represented in a class-action lawsuit that argues they were denied religious accommodations and that the hospital violated their First Amendment rights. Jan. 11 was the hospital deadline for employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Then, at the end of February, the hospital system officially terminated those employees still out of compliance. “I believe it’s very clearly unconstitutional,” said Warner Mendenhall, the attorney representing the former hospital workers. Mendenhall said all of the plaintiffs applied for religious exemptions but were denied. “These people have been working in the pandemic for two years. They’ve been exposed. All of them have natural immunity and the exemptions–by not granting the exemption, Akron Children’s is hurting services to the community,” said Mendenhall. The complaint states the hospital’s actions violate the former workers’ First Amendment rights to freely exercise their religion and is seeking an injunction plus damages including back pay and reinstatement or front pay. “Employers are allowed to have requirements, and health care providers traditionally have required flu vaccines, […]
