EEOC Sues Rex Healthcare, Inc. for Religious Discrimination

RALEIGH, N.C.  – Rex Healthcare, Inc., a private, non-profit healthcare provider located in Raleigh, North Carolina, violated federal law when it failed to accommodate an employee’s religious beliefs and fired her for failing to receive a COVID-19 vaccination, according to a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today.

According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, in 2021 Rex Healthcare implemented a policy mandating that all employees receive a COVID-19 vaccination unless they were granted an exemption because of their religious beliefs or a disability. The charging party in the EEOC’s suit, who worked remotely, requested a religious exemption in accordance with the policy. Even though the employee had previously been granted an exemption from being required to take the flu vaccination based on her religious beliefs, the request for an exemption from the COVID-19 vaccination was denied.

The employee submitted multiple follow up requests with additional explanations of her religious beliefs in support of her request. Despite the employee articulating a sincerely held religious belief, Rex Healthcare denied the employee’s accommodation requests and subsequently fired her for failing to comply with the company’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate. 

Such alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, which prohibits discrimination because of an individual’s religion and requires employers to reasonably accommodate an employee’s religious observance or practice unless doing so would cause an undue hardship. The EEOC filed suit (EEOC v. Rex Healthcare, Inc., Case No. 5:24-cv-00739-BO) in U.S. District Court for the District for the Eastern District of North Carolina after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its administrative conciliation process.

“Employer-mandated vaccine policies must allow for religious accommodations for employees with conflicting sincerely held religious beliefs, unless the accommodation imposes an undue hardship for the employer,” said Melinda C. Dugas, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Charlotte District.

For more information on religious discrimination, please visit https://www.eeoc.gov/religious-discrimination.

The EEOC’s Charlotte District is charged with enforcing federal employment anti-discrimination laws in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. 

The EEOC prevents and remedies unlawful employment discrimination and advances equal opportunity for all. More information is available at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates.