Michigan: Catholic woman fired for not getting COVID vaccine awarded $12 million in damages

A Michigan federal court ruled in favor of a woman in a religious discrimination case. Lisa Domski was fired after she refused to get the COVID-19 vaccine. The court decided to award her at least $12 million for damages caused by her employer, insurance company Blue Cross Blue Shield.

According to information provided by her attorney, Domski argued that the company rejected her request for an exemption from its 2021 COVID-19 vaccination policy despite her insistence that it conflicted with her Catholic faith. In addition, the woman was on a hybrid contract and working from home.

"This was a woman who was working from home in her basement office who wasn't a threat to anybody and was completely fulfilling all of her job obligations for 38 years," her attorney Jon Marko told Fox News Digital.

Further, the attorney explained that after being informed of the company's policy that its employees must be vaccinated, Domski submitted a written statement to his employer detailing her religious beliefs and attached contact information for her priest and parish.

However, according to Domski, the company denied her request for accommodation and threatened to fire her if she did not comply with the vaccination order. Domski refused and was subsequently fired.

In the meantime, it was learned that the company's vaccination policy stated that all its employees must be vaccinated or the other option was for them to obtain a medical or religious exemption. But the company had doubts about the statement submitted by the woman about her faith.

Then, her lawyer explained, the company claimed it was unaware of Domski's faith despite the statement she had submitted.

"Domski was awarded $10 million in punitive damages against Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, an additional $1.7 million in lost wages and $1 million in noneconomic damages," Fox News highlighted.

The news outlet contacted the company, which said it was disappointed with the decision and is evaluating legal options to respond to the verdict.