A remote-working employee who was fired for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine has been awarded over $12 million by a Michigan jury.

Detroit, Michigan – A federal jury in Detroit awarded over $12 million on November 8, 2024, to a former Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM) employee, Lisa Domski, following her claim of wrongful termination due to religious discrimination over the company’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

Domski, who worked for the insurance provider for more than 30 years as an IT Process Specialist, argued that her dismissal in January 2022 violated her religious rights. The jury awarded her $10 million in punitive damages, $1.7 million for lost wages, and $1 million in noneconomic damages.

BCBSM, a leading health insurance company in Michigan, implemented a company-wide COVID-19 vaccine requirement in October 2021, mandating all employees to be fully vaccinated by January 4, 2022, unless they received an approved medical or religious exemption.

Domski, a practicing Catholic, submitted a religious exemption request, stating that her beliefs prevented her from accepting a vaccine associated with fetal cell research. Her request was denied after BCBSM concluded it did not qualify as a sincerely held religious belief, and she was subsequently terminated on January 5, 2022.

During the trial in federal court, Domski’s legal team argued that her job was conducted 100% remotely during the pandemic and approximately 75% remotely even before COVID-19, contending that her remote status minimized any risk to coworkers and made vaccination unnecessary for her position. Additionally, they argued that BCBSM’s process for exemption requests involved intense scrutiny that pressured employees to comply with the mandate, despite their personal beliefs.

BCBSM stood by its vaccine mandate, describing it as a lawful measure to protect public health and one that followed state and federal accommodation guidelines.

Following the jury’s decision, BCBSM released a statement expressing disappointment and indicating it may consider an appeal. “Blue Cross respects the jury process... however, we are disappointed in the verdict. Blue Cross is reviewing its legal options and will determine its path forward in the coming days,” the company stated.