Two former ESPN employees have reportedly sued ESPN in federal court, alleging that the required COVID-19 vaccination violated religious freedom rights.
ESPN and its parent company The Walt Disney Company are defendants in the lawsuit filed Wednesday by former ESPN employee Allison Williams and former producer Beth Faber in U.S. District Court in Connecticut. Front Office Sports broke the story.
Williams and Faber were fired from ESPN in late 2021.
“Force [the] For plaintiffs to choose between continued employment and violating their religious beliefs in order to make a living puts a significant strain on the plaintiffs’ ability to conduct themselves in accordance with their sincerely held religious beliefs,” attorney Christopher Dunn said in wrote the complaint.
At the time, Williams said she decided not to take the vaccine because she and her husband were trying to have a second child.
“It was a very difficult decision and I don’t take it lightly,” she said at the time. “I understand that vaccines were essential to ending this pandemic; however, taking the vaccine now is not in my best interest. After much prayer and thought, I decided that I must put my family and personal health first. I will miss being on the sidelines and am grateful for the support of my ESPN family. I look forward to getting back to the games and tracks I love.”
Upon her departure from the sports media network, Williams said that the Covid-19 vaccinations against her “went against my values and my morals”.
“My posting request was denied by ESPN and The Walt Disney Company, and I will be separated from the company beginning next week,” Williams said. “I am so morally and ethically incompatible with that. I had to really dig deep and analyze my values and morals. In the end I have to put them first. The irony is that the same values and principles that are so close to me have made me a very good employee and probably contributed to the success I have been able to achieve in my career.”
Faber, who has been with the company for more than 30 years, was made redundant in September 2021.
Dunn claims ESPN made “no serious effort” to “accommodate” her.
Vaccination requirements have been controversial for some time. More than 1,000 lawsuits have been filed related to Covid-19 mandates. So far, the Supreme Court has not prevented companies from setting their own guidelines, although it has objected to federal government mandates.
Author: Bruce Herring
Source: Deadline
Joseph Fearn is an entertainment and television aficionado who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a keen eye for what’s hot in the world of TV, Joseph keeps his readers informed about the latest trends and must-see shows.
