Labor & Employment Law Daily Wrap Up, DOJ NEWS—Court approves settlement in suit brought after teacher was denied COVID vaccine exemption, (May 6, 2025)

By WK Editorial Staff

He was unable to provide a clergy letter supporting his request.

The Justice Department recently announced that a federal judge approved a consent decree settling its lawsuit against the Advanced Science and Technology Education Charter Schools (ASTEC) in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The lawsuit alleged ASTEC discriminated against a teacher based on his religion, in violation of Title VII, when it terminated him after denying his request for a religious exemption from ASTEC’s vaccine mandate because he could not provide a supporting clergy letter.

“Employer policies that rigidly restrict how employees can demonstrate the sincerity of their religious beliefs for religious accommodations are inconsistent with the breadth of Title VII’s protection against religious discrimination,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon. “When employees’ religious principles conflict with work rules, they should not be forced to choose between practicing their religion and keeping their jobs if a reasonable accommodation can be made.”

Under the consent decree, the employer will pay the teacher $95,000 in damages, revise its anti-religious discrimination policy, and provide mandatory training on it.

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