{"id":2287759,"date":"2024-07-02T08:22:01","date_gmt":"2024-07-02T12:22:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bluecross-blueshield-forced-to-pay-700000-to-fired-employee\/"},"modified":"2024-07-02T08:27:44","modified_gmt":"2024-07-02T12:27:44","slug":"bluecross-blueshield-forced-to-pay-700000-to-fired-employee","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bluecross-blueshield-forced-to-pay-700000-to-fired-employee\/","title":{"rendered":"BlueCross BlueShield Forced To Pay $700,000 To Fired Employee"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fbluecross-blueshield-forced-to-pay-700000-to-fired-employee%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2287759&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A former employee\u200b of BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee was awarded a settlement of nearly $700,000 after being fired for refusing \u200cthe Covid-19 vaccine. Tanja Benton, the plaintiff, submitted a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mcconnell-unloads-on-bidens-radical-and-underqualified-hhs-nominee-xavier-becerra\/\" title=\"McConnell Unloads On Biden\u2019s \u2018Radical And Underqualified\u2019 HHS Nominee Xavier Becerra\">religious exemption<\/a>\u2063 when the vaccine mandate was \u200benforced in August 2021. \u200dA Tennessee federal jury \u2063found\u2062 that \u2062her refusal was based\u2064 on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/house-republicans-push-bill-aimed-at-balancing-lgbt-rights-and-religious-freedom\/\" title=\"House Republicans Push Bill Aimed at Balancing LGBT Rights and Religious Freedom\">sincerely held religious beliefs<\/a>.\u2062 Benton <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ag-ferguson-mandates-booster-for-staff-but-most-covid-infections-hit-the-vaccinated\/\" title=\"AG Ferguson Mandates Booster for Staff, but Most COVID Infections Hit the Vaccinated\">worked remotely<\/a> as\u2062 a biostatistical \u200cresearch scientist and \u200bhad minimal client interactions.\u200c She was one of many\u2064 employees \u2062fired after the\u200c mandate was implemented. A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/cuomo-to-partially-reopen-indoor-dining-in-nyc-for-valentines-day-if-positivity-rates-hold\/\" title=\"Cuomo To Partially Reopen Indoor Dining In NYC For Valentine\u2019s Day, \u2018If Positivity Rates Hold\u2019\">class-action lawsuit<\/a> \u2062has\u2064 been filed against \u200cBlueCross BlueShield for \u2064discrimination against employees seeking religious exemptions. The lawsuit cites a violation of rights under the \u2063Civil Rights Act \u200dof 1964.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"article-body body-md bdr-top-black pt-30\">\n<div class=\"row justify-content-center\">\n<div class=\"col-12\">\n<figure class=\"article-thumbnail mb-30 mb-sm-60\">\n<div class=\"article-thumbnail-caption d-flex align-items-center justify-content-md-end label-xs mt-15\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-camera me-10\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Image Credit<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/alachuacounty\/50802098581\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">  Alachua County \/ Flickr \/<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/publicdomain\/mark\/1.0\/\">PDM 1.0<\/a>       <\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"article-share text-center article-share-simple\">\n<h5 class=\"label-sm mb-10\">Share<\/h5>\n<ul class=\"article-share-list list-unstyled m-0 p-0\">\n<li class=\"article-share-facebook m-0\">       <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/07\/02\/bluecross-blueshield-forced-to-pay-700000-to-fired-employee-over-vax-mandate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-facebook\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article on Facebook<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-twitter m-0\">       <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=BlueCross BlueShield Forced To Pay $700,000 To Fired Employee Over Vax Mandate&#038;url=https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/07\/02\/bluecross-blueshield-forced-to-pay-700000-to-fired-employee-over-vax-mandate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-twitter\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article on Twitter<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-truth-social m-0\">       <a href=\"https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/share?title=BlueCross BlueShield Forced To Pay $700,000 To Fired Employee Over Vax Mandate&#038;url=https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/07\/02\/bluecross-blueshield-forced-to-pay-700000-to-fired-employee-over-vax-mandate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">         <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" fill=\"currentColor\" style=\"width:36px;height:auto;\" viewbox=\"0 0 92 93\"><path d=\"M69.444 55.716H56.772v10.37h12.672zM64.487 37.795V27.32H38.666v38.664h13.18v-28.19zM21.05 27.321h12.653v10.471H21.051z\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/><\/svg>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article on Truth Social<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-link m-0\">       <button data-clipboard-text=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/07\/02\/bluecross-blueshield-forced-to-pay-700000-to-fired-employee-over-vax-mandate\/\" data-tooltip-content=\"Copied!\" class=\"clip tooltip\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-link-variant\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Copy Article Link<\/span>       <\/button>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-email m-0\">       <a href=\"mailto:?subject=BlueCross BlueShield Forced To Pay $700,000 To Fired Employee Over Vax Mandate&#038;body=A former employee of BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee was awarded a settlement after she was fired for refusing the Covid-19 jab.%20https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/07\/02\/bluecross-blueshield-forced-to-pay-700000-to-fired-employee-over-vax-mandate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-email\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article via Email<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-email m-0\"><span class=\"printfriendly pf-button  pf-alignleft\"><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/thefederalist.com\/#\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" onclick=\"window.print(); return false;\" title=\"Printer Friendly, PDF &#038; Email\"><span id=\"printfriendly-text2\" class=\"pf-button-text\"><i class=\"mdi mdi-printer\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<p>A former employee of BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee (BCBST) was awarded a nearly $700,000 settlement Friday after she was fired for refusing the Covid-19 vaccine. <\/p>\n<p>Tanja Benton, the plaintiff, submitted a religious exemption when BCBST forced a vaccine mandate on its employees in August 2021.\u00a0A Tennessee federal jury <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/robbystarbuck\/status\/1807817855846564267\/photo\/1\">found<\/a> \u201cby a preponderance of evidence that her [plaintiff] refusal to receive the Covid vaccination was based upon sincerely held religious belief.\u201d <\/p>\n<div  class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-db2e0c8d92b3a1d0d8eada1042bcb570 fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-db2e0c8d92b3a1d0d8eada1042bcb570\"><\/div>\n<p>The Plaintiff had submitted her religious exemption to BCBST in September 2021 and was <a href=\"https:\/\/newschannel9.com\/news\/local\/after-firing-for-not-getting-vaccinated-former-bluecross-blueshield-worker-files-lawsuit-vaccine-covid-19-employee-mandate-employer-blue-cross-blue-shield-tennessee\">fired<\/a> in November of that year.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSpecifically,\u00a0Plaintiff firmly\u00a0believes, based upon personal research, that all\u00a0COVID-19 vaccines are derived from aborted fetus\u00a0cell lines,\u201d Benton\u2019s lawsuit reads. \u201cBecause of her sincerely held religious beliefs concerning abortion, Plaintiff cannot in good conscience consume the vaccine, which would not only defile her body but also anger and dishonor God.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Benton\u2019s lawsuit also cited the nature of her job as a biostatistical research scientist with BCBST as solitary; she infrequently met with clients and was able to successfully work remotely. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cPlaintiff\u2019s job rarely involved direct interaction with clients,\u201d the lawsuit reads. \u201cIn fact, approximately one percent (25 hours) of her total annual working hours (2,080 hours) involved client interaction.\u201d <\/p>\n<div  class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-92ad114e9fe48c9291ad402627a821d5 fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-6\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-92ad114e9fe48c9291ad402627a821d5\"><\/div>\n<p>Benton was an employee of BCBST for 16-plus years before her termination.\u00a0Before the vaccine mandate, Benton had worked remotely for over a year and a half amid pandemic lockdown orders.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPlaintiff conducted\u00a0all\u00a0client\u00a0meetings\u00a0by remote means,\u201d the lawsuit reads.\u00a0\u201cNo client expressed any concerns or problems about remote interactions, nor did\u00a0any client express a desire for Plaintiff to have physical in-person interactions with them.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Benton was reportedly one of many full-time remote employees fired after the vaccine mandate was implemented for 800 to \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.insurancebusinessmag.com\/us\/news\/breaking-news\/former-insurance-employee-gets-damages-in-religious-beliefs-vaccine-case-495289.aspx#:~:text=Former%20BlueCross%20BlueShield%20of%20Tennessee,accommodation%20for%20her%20religious%20beliefs.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">900 so-called customer-facing roles<\/a>.\u201d As Insurance Business Magazine <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insurancebusinessmag.com\/us\/news\/breaking-news\/former-insurance-employee-gets-damages-in-religious-beliefs-vaccine-case-495289.aspx#:~:text=Former%20BlueCross%20BlueShield%20of%20Tennessee,accommodation%20for%20her%20religious%20beliefs.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reported<\/a>: \u201cOut of the 900 employees, 41 refused to get vaccinated and were subsequently fired. Specifically, 19 were terminated in October of that year and an additional 22 were fired in November 2021, weeks before Tennessee passed a law prohibiting BCBST from enforcing the mandate.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>An additional <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scribd.com\/document\/669985309\/Lawsuit-BlueCross-BlueShield-of-Tennessee-denied-workers-religious-exemptions-from-COVID-19-vaccine-mandate\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">class-action lawsuit<\/a> has been filed against BCBST for illegal discrimination against employees who sought and were <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/federal-court-pauses-california-school-districts-vaccine-mandate\/\" title=\"Federal Court Pauses California School District\u2019s Vaccine Mandate\">denied religious exemptions<\/a> from the vaccine mandate.\u00a0It cites a violation of the employees\u2019 rights under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. <\/p>\n<div  class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-0f38cec9eef4502cee980db5ccb18c99 fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-10\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-0f38cec9eef4502cee980db5ccb18c99\"><\/div>\n<p>\u201cDefendant\u2019s discriminatory actions left Plaintiffs and those\u00a0similarly situated with\u00a0the formidable task of choosing between their faith and their jobs,\u201d the class-action lawsuit reads.\u00a0\u201cAs to those who chose their faith, Defendant terminated their employment.\u201d <\/p>\n<div  class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-071e762ef0e417252017f443e18ccf06 fdrlst__b89e9-after-post-content\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-071e762ef0e417252017f443e18ccf06\"><\/div>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\">\n<div class=\"article-author-description fst-italic\">      Kamden Mulder is a summer intern at The Federalist. She is a senior at Hillsdale College pursuing a degree in American Studies and Journalism.<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-author mt-30 mt-sm-60 pt-30 bdr-top-bold-black\">\n<div class=\"row g-0 align-items-center\">\n<div class=\"col-12 col-md-6\">\n<div class=\"article-author-profile d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center justify-content-md-start\">\n<div class=\"article-author-details\">\n<div class=\"label-md\">Kamden Mulder<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-author-twitter label-sm d-flex align-items-center mt-10\">             <i class=\"mdi mdi-twitter me-5\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>             <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Visit on Twitter<\/span>            <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/kamdenmulder_\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"text-decoration-none\" rel=\"noopener\">@kamdenmulder_<\/a>           <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-md-6 d-flex justify-content-center justify-content-md-end mt-15 mt-md-0\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/author\/kamden-mulder\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">More Articles<\/a>     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"article-tags bdr-top-black mt-30 mt-sm-60 pt-15 pt-md-45\">\n<ul class=\"list-unstyled d-flex flex-wrap align-items-center mb-0 mx-n10 p-0\">\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/bluecross-blueshield\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">BlueCross BlueShield<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/class-action-lawsuit\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">class action lawsuit<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/covid\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">COVID<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/covid-19\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Covid-19<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/federal-jury\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">federal jury<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/religious-exemption\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">religious exemption<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/tennessee\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Tennessee<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/title-vii-of-the-civil-rights-act-of-1964\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/vaccine-mandate\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Vaccine Mandate<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/workplace-mandate\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">workplace mandate<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/wuhan-virus\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Wuhan Virus<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A former employee of BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee (BCBST) received a settlement of nearly $700,000 after being fired for refusing the Covid-19 vaccine. Tanja Benton, the plaintiff, had submitted a religious exemption when the vaccine mandate was implemented in August 2021. A Tennessee federal jury determined that her refusal was based on sincerely held religious beliefs. Benton, who had worked remotely for over a year and a half, was terminated in November 2021. She believed that all Covid-19 vaccines were derived from aborted fetus cell lines, which went against her religious beliefs. Benton&#8217;s job as a biostatistical research scientist involved minimal client interaction, and she was able to work successfully remotely. Many full-time remote employees were fired after the vaccine mandate was implemented, leading to a class-action lawsuit against BCBST for discrimination against employees seeking religious exemptions<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3160,"featured_media":2287760,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/50802098581_f7eecb57c6_h.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[33644,33646,33645,4585,33647],"class_list":["post-2287759","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-bluecross-blueshield","tag-financial-compensation","tag-fired-employee","tag-lawsuit","tag-legal-settlement"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/50802098581_f7eecb57c6_h.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2287759","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3160"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2287759"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2287759\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2287760"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2287759"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2287759"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2287759"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}