NorthShore University HealthSystem in Illinois has a staffing problem. As of today’s writing, there are a whopping 821 open positions in the system, including everything from doctors and nurses to phlebotomists.

Of the 821 job openings since May, 624 have come open since the September shot mandates were announced. Yet, NorthShore continues to fire Christians and other religious faithful who refuse to take the COVID shots.

We had a major hearing on our class action lawsuit defending health care workers on TUESDAY. I’ll share the details below. We need to END THIS OUTRAGEOUS DISCRIMINATION against health care heroes. — Mat

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Throughout the fall, NorthShore was approving medical and religious exemptions, but then the health care giant revoked all the religious exemptions. Pregnant nurses and staff with medical exemptions were allowed to continue working without COVID shots. NorthShore accommodated this group of employees with no problems.

Yet, those with religious exemptions were told that no accommodation would be made for them. The different treatment between the two classes of people is obvious and blatant discrimination. If NorthShore can accommodate people with a medical exemption, then the same treatment should legally be made for religious exemptions.

NorthShore made the conscious choice to discriminate against every one of its religiously observant staff members who requested an exemption.

Many of our clients waited patiently for their exemption requests to be reviewed and appealed, only to see their jobs listed as “vacant” on the NorthShore job seekers board!

Elysia* (who is named “Jane Doe 3” in our class action lawsuit) was informed that her job was going to be filled by someone else.

Elysia will not allow herself to be injected with a drug developed or tested using fetal cells obtained through an abortion. After she submitted her religious exemption, her manager harassed Elysia about her religious beliefs and not taking the shot.

On October 1, Liberty Counsel sent NorthShore a demand letter informing them that their treatment of religious adherents was illegal under both state and federal law. But NorthShore continued the discrimination anyway … and according to NorthShore’s own job seeker board, even more positions were advertised as being vacant.

When Elysia told her manager she was still waiting on the results of her religious exemption appeal, the manager told her “It doesn’t matter. We aren’t approving anyone.”

Jeanie* (named “Jane Doe 5” in our lawsuit) had a similar experience. The manager said her religious exemption appeal would be denied.

Meanwhile, NorthShore continued to accommodate medical exemptions. If the “unvaccinated” were truly such a threat, why would the hospital system allow some unvaccinated people to work, but not the religious unvaccinated?

The answer is simple—religious discrimination.

In our last hearing, in which the court issued a restraining order against NorthShore, we pointed out NorthShore’s obvious discrimination and preferential treatment of medical exemptions over religious exemptions. If NorthShore was going to accept medical exemptions under the federal Americans with Disability Act, then NorthShore must grant religious exemptions under the federal Title VII employment law.

On Monday of this week, one day before our Tuesday hearing before the judge, and without prior notice to staff, NorthShore attempted to cover its tracks by laying off ALL the people for whom they had already granted medical exemptions. This vindictive move is reprehensible. NorthShore is giving the boot to pregnant nurses and others with medical exemptions so that it can now argue against religious exemptions!

I don’t expect this tactic to work for NorthShore. Our hearing went well, with the judge asking NorthShore many pointed questions about their obviously discriminatory actions.

Please be in prayer for a positive result that will END DISCRIMINATION against Christians and other religious adherents at NorthShore. A win in our case will also resolve their apparent staffing crisis—821 open positions is a shockingly high number of vacancies that will create a health care crisis in their area of service.

Our legal teams were in multiple courts on Monday and Tuesday! Our whole last week has been a flurry of legal briefings, filings and court appearances fighting for religious freedom.

We have federal lawsuits filed against the states of Maine and New York as well as our class action lawsuit against Joe Biden. And all this as we continue to defend Sandra Merritt, who is being persecuted for exposing Planned Parenthood’s gruesome “Baby Parts for Sale” scheme.

BREAKING: Yesterday the Supreme Court set oral argument for January 18, 2022, on our Camp Constitution case against the City of Boston. More about that later.

Help Liberty Counsel DEFEND RELIGIOUS FREEDOM! We need your help and prayer like never before.

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“Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you” (Deut. 31:6).

Mat Staver
Founder and Chairman
Liberty Counsel

Sources:

‌“Health Care Employees Sue NorthShore University HealthSystem.” 2021. Lc.org. Accessed October 26, 2021. lc.org/newsroom/details/102521-health-care-employees-sue-northshore-university-healthsystem.

“Job Search.” n.d. Northshore.taleo.net. northshore.taleo.net/careersection/northshore+university+health+systems+-+external/jobsearch.ftl.

“Liberty Counsel Challenges Biden’s Unlawful Shot Mandates - Liberty Counsel.” n.d. Lc.org. lc.org/newsroom/details/102621-liberty-counsel-challenges-bidens-unlawful-shot-mandates.

“Liberty Counsel Files Opening Brief at SCOTUS in Religious Viewpoint Case - Liberty Counsel.” n.d. Lc.org. lc.org/newsroom/details/111521-liberty-counsel-files-opening-brief-at-scotus-in-r.

“Maine Church Seeks Permanent Relief from Governor’s Edicts - Liberty Counsel.” n.d. Lc.org. lc.org/newsroom/details/111621-maine-church-seeks-permanent-relief-from-governors-edicts.

“Maine Health Care Workers Ask SCOTUS to Review Case - Liberty Counsel.” n.d. Lc.org. Accessed November 16, 2021. lc.org/newsroom/details/111121-maine-health-care-workers-ask-scotus-to-review-case.

‌‌“NY Health Care Workers Seek Emergency Relief from SCOTUS - Liberty Counsel.” n.d. Lc.org. lc.org/newsroom/details/111221-ny-health-care-workers-seek-emergency-relief-from-scotus-1.