Jonathan Stempel

NEW YORK, (Reuters) – Four employees of Bristol Myers Squibb Co sued the company Wednesday. They claimed that Bristol Myers Squibb Co refused to grant them religious exemptions for COVID-19 vaccinations and threatened to fire their workers next Monday if they did not get vaccinated.

In a proposed class action in Manhattan Federal Court, the plaintiffs accused Bristol Myers with violating Title VII federal civil rights law by “systematically manufacturing” grounds to deny religious accommodation.

The plaintiffs claimed that Bristol Myers denies the sincerity and religious convictions of its employees, who have expressed political views about vaccines. Plaintiffs claimed that the company ignores religious convictions which are not compatible with denial decisions. However, it allows employees who have medical reasons to refuse to get vaccinated.

New York-based Bristol Myers did not immediately respond to the complaint.

On Wednesday, the lawsuit was brought against Biden’s administration for requiring millions of American workers to become vaccinated. The mandate is being challenged by courts. Many officials in the health field believe mass vaccinations will be the most effective way to end the COVID-19 outbreak.

These Bristol Myers plaintiffs all have six-figure salary packages: Carrie Kefalas is a physician who manages drug development clinical trials risk management; John Lott is a biotechnologist and John Lott is a data integrity manager Jeremy Beer; Kamila Dubisz, a biologist, is Kamila Dubisz.

They protested against the requirement that they complete “inquisitorial questionnaires” about their religious exemption reasons.

According to the complaint Bristol Myers refused Kefalas’ request, believing her beliefs were not sincere. It also suggested that she may not have accepted mask-wearing and regular COVID-19 tests. There was no explanation for other rejections.

Bristol Myers refers in Kefalas’ reject letter to multiple statements that she made in public forums. These included the assertions it claimed that Bristol Myers’ vaccine requirement was an “unamerican, communist practice”. ().”

This lawsuit is seeking a permanent injunction to stop Bristol Myers from firing plaintiffs and employees with similar circumstances.

Bristol Myers had approximately 17,000 U.S. workers at the end of 2020.

Kefalas et al v Bristol-Myers Squibb, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York (No. 21-10204.