Eighty-four Former Employees Seeking Class Action Lawsuit Against Confluence Health Over COVID Vaccine Terminations

Confluence Health is being sued by 84 former employees who claim they were wrongfully let go from the health system for not being vaccinated against COVID-19.

The complaint is being filed with the Douglas County Superior Court by law firm Lay Kane & Kube and should be submitted in the next day or two according to the firm.

According to a copy of the complaint obtained by KPQ, the plaintiffs were all terminated by Confluence either "expressly or constructively" between October of 2020 and January last year.

The plaintiffs allege that its the public policy of Washington State that people have the right to make their own healthcare choices and Confluence Health ran counter to that policy by firing its unvaccinated employees. The complaint claims Confluence lacked any overriding justification to act outside of that policy.

Attorney for the plaintiffs and former East Wenatchee Mayor Steve Lacy also alleges Confluence violated disability laws by simply perceiving the plaintiffs as disabled and then treating them differently.

"Our positions is they could do their jobs and they were not actually disabled in the sense that Confluence Health said they were." Lacy said, "In fact, they weren't disabled because people who are allegedly unvaccinated are no more likely to transmit COVID-19 than someone who is."

The 84 plaintiffs are asking that the complaint be certified as a class action lawsuit. If not, they are all requesting individual jury trials. Joy Dawe, a former Eastmont School Board member that recently resigned, is among those suing Confluence.

The plaintiffs are seeking reinstatement of their jobs, past and future damages and attorney fees.