The three employees represented by Liberty Counsel submitted their religious exemption requests in a timely manner, and all were unlawfully denied without explanation. These employees have been told by Texas Children’s that there is no appeal, and they must upload proof of their COVID shots before 5:00 p.m. today or they will be fired.
These health care workers have sincere religious beliefs regarding the undeniable association between COVID-19 injections and aborted fetal cell lines. All three of the currently available COVID injections are produced by, derived from, manufactured with, tested on, developed with, or otherwise connected to or associated with aborted fetal cell lines. They noted on their exemption requests that they have searched the Scriptures and have been guided by the Holy Spirit through prayer and reflection. It would be a sin for them to accept a COVID-19 injection because they believe that life is sacred from the moment of conception and abortion is the murder of an innocent human. They believe their bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, and that to inject medical products that have any connection whatsoever to aborted fetal cell lines would be defiling the temple of the Holy Spirit.
Texas Children’s denial of these exemptions is both intentionally vague and dishonest. The denial is intentionally vague because Texas Children’s does not identify or explain what information employees must supply in order to receive a reversal. For example, in an email response request for a rationale behind one employee’s denial, the Human Resources department wrote: “Your personal belief statement which you submitted before September 1, 2021 was reviewed and a determination was made. I can assure you that Texas Children’s followed a thoughtful and consistent process. Human Resources is communicating the results of those decisions to individual employees based on the personal belief statement that you submitted. We are not providing additional details regarding those decisions and apologize for any frustration that may cause you.”
Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver said, “Texas Children’s Hospital has no legal authority to deny any employee’s sincerely held religious belief regarding a COIVD injection. Texas and federal law dictates that employees at Texas Children’s Hospital must have the fundamental right to determine what medical care to accept and refuse. The law also protects the rights of all health care workers to abstain from participation in abortion. In addition, the Texas Commission on Human Rights Act requires employers to accommodate employees’ sincere religious beliefs.”
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