Plaintiiffs Must Answer Religious Questions In COVID-19 Lawsuit

The 82 former employees suing Confluence Health over their refusal to get COVID-19 shots will have to answer questions about their religious beliefs from the hospital's lawyers. 

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The employees' lawyer, former East Wenatchee Mayor Steve Lacy, argued their beliefs are confidential. Lacy also said the 82 employees shouldn't have to answer questions because Confluence Health has already acknowledged their initial request for vaccine exemptions was based on religious beliefs. 

But Douglas County Superior Court Judge Brian Huber rejected the claim, saying the hospital's acknowledgement that there was a request for religious accommodation does not impede upon its right to ask about religious beliefs. 

The former employees refused to get a COVID-19 shot during a state emergency order requiring the vaccine during the pandemic in 2021.  

The hospital required the shot, but initially put the employees' who claiming exemptions on leave. Confluence Health later terminated the workers for continued resistance to the vaccine. 

The employees are suing Confluence Health for a second time after Huber dismissed their first lawsuit, saying they failed to state what religious beliefs were being violated when they were terminated. 

There's still no trial date for the second lawsuit, which was filed in April of 2023.. 

Lacy is also challenging the medical research the hospital used in making its decisions about the employees. Huber instructed Lacy to file a separate motion in pursuing the challenge. He said more hearing will be required before the lawsuit moves forward.