Six nurses facing termination are suing Illinois’s Riverside Healthcare for denying their conscientious objections to the COVID-19 vaccines, despite state protections.
Liberty Justice Center filed a case Wednesday with the 21st Circuit Court in Kankakee, Illinois, on behalf of the nurses. The legal center argues that Riverside’s blanket denial of all vaccine exemptions violates the Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience Act, as well as Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s executive order that allows for some vaccine exemptions. Five of the nurses have until Oct. 31 to get vaccinated or lose their jobs, and one was fired in September.
“This is a ruthless overreach aimed at coercing front line workers to do something they sincerely believe is wrong,” said Daniel Suhr, managing attorney at LJC, said in a statement. “These nurses know the virus better than anyone and are making a deeply personal, individual choice that should be respected. Not only is that the right thing to do, but it’s Illinois law.”
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Neelie Panozzo, one of the plaintiffs, is a nurse practitioner who has been with Riverside for 24 years.
“I believe I am called to love and serve my patients, especially those who are frail and vulnerable,” Panozzo said in the statement. “I am also following my faith’s teachings when I say I cannot accept this vaccine. I am ashamed that Riverside will not respect my sincere beliefs and instead insists on firing all of its employees who sought conscience protections.”
In a Sept. 30 interview, Riverside President and CEO Phil Kambic said the opposition to the vaccine had “taken [him] a bit by surprise.”
“I believe our community expects that when their loved ones are in our care, that the caregiver is fully vaccinated as one step of many to provide that safe environment,” Kambic said.
The Illinois Right of Conscience Healthcare Act protects people and institutions who have “conscientious refusal to receive … or participate in any way in any particular form of healthcare services contrary to his or her conscience.”
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“The Health Care Right of Conscience Act was never intended to allow people to avoid public health guidance during a global pandemic. The administration supports efforts to clarify the law, so it cannot be misinterpreted by fringe elements,” said Pritzker’s Deputy Chief of Staff Emily Bittner.
In New York, a judge upheld religious exemptions for healthcare workers on Tuesday, though Gov. Kathy Hochul plans to appeal the ruling.
The Washington Examiner reached out to Riverside Healthcare for comment but did not immediately hear back.
