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The State of Oklahoma filed a lawsuit Friday to block Ascension Healthcare from carrying out its plan to fire employees who have been denied religious exemptions from its nationwide COVID-19 vaccine mandate. However, some workers at Ascension St. John Jane Phillips ended the day without a job as they left voluntarily. 

 

One RN told us at the prayer service, which was promoted by the Washington County Freedom Advocates in the hospital's public parking lot, that today was her last day. The nurse, who wished to remain anonymous, said she was not going to out an unapproved shot into her body, She said she will soon turn 65 and will retire, but not by choice.

 

Another hospital worker decided to quit over the mandate after 14 years on the job.

 

The District Court of Tulsa County granted the emergency temporary restraining order just hours after the announcement, stopping Ascension from carrying through with the terminations.

 

Attorney General John O'Connor said the lawsuit he filed is a move to protect Oklahoma's faithful frontline healthcare heroes from religious discrimination. O'Connor says Ascension was virtually denying most if not all of requests for exemptions based upon sincerely held religious beliefs. He says they cannot tolerate discrimination on the basis of religion; he says they do not want over 100 employees to lose their jobs.

 

“This evening, the Tulsa District Court granted the State’s Application for Temporary Restraining Order in our case to keep Ascension Healthcare from carrying out its plan to fire employees who were unfairly denied religious exemptions from their nationwide COVID-19 vaccination mandate. This is a win for religious freedom and our office will continue to fight against unlawful religious discrimination.”

 

We continue to seek clarification on the issue as to whether some employees were fired for non-compliance over the vaccine mandate or whether some or all workers who had not taken the vaccine were placed on unpaid leave until January 4, 2022 or until they got the shot. 

 

Ascension released this statement:

 

"As a leading healthcare provider, we continue to put the safety of our associates and those we are privileged to serve at the forefront of everything we do. This is why we have required our associates to receive both the COVID-19 vaccine and the influenza vaccine.

We want patients to be assured and comforted with the knowledge that our doctors and nurses, other clinicians and associates, working in one of our hospitals or other sites of care, will either be vaccinated against both COVID-19 and influenza, or in the instances of exemptions or accommodations, be complying with additional infection prevention protocols. Patients and their loved ones should have that peace of mind as they entrust us with their care."