OK Attorney General files application for temporary restraining order against Ascension Healthcare

3 years ago 336

OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma Attorney General John O'Connor announces the State of Oklahoma is filing a suit contiguous to artifact Ascension Healthcare from carrying retired its vaccine mandate plan.

Ascension is 1 of the nation's largest healthcare networks. Back successful July, Ascension St. John announced their hospitals volition necessitate each its employees to get the COVID-19 vaccine by Nov. 12, 2021.

“We volition not tolerate immoderate signifier of spiritual favoritism against Oklahomans who question tenable accommodations from vaccine mandates based connected their sincerely held spiritual beliefs,” Oklahoma Attorney General John O’Connor says astir the lawsuit.

Ascension, headquartered successful St. Louis, Missouri, operates hospitals and healthcare facilities successful 19 states, including Oklahoma.

In the Tulsa country alone, Ascension operates dozens of hospitals, clinics, and specialty attraction facilities, including the St. John Medical Center.

“The St. John enactment and employees are bully citizens successful the Tulsa community, but definite employment practices against those employees cannot continue,” says General O’Connor.

In the lawsuit, the State asks the District Court of Tulsa County to participate an exigency impermanent restraining order, stopping Ascension from carrying done with the terminations.

According to tribunal documents, Ascension reportedly said it would let employees to use for aesculapian and spiritual exemptions by Oct. 1 and would o.k. oregon contradict the requests by Oct, 12. However, assorted online reports stated Ascension had already decided that it would summarily contradict immoderate requests for spiritual exemption oregon accommodation.

“Healthcare heroes who sought a spiritual exemption connected this and different sincerely held spiritual content grounds person been flatly rejected by Ascension,” notes O’Connor. “In truthful doing, Ascension committed spiritual favoritism against Oklahoma healthcare heroes who reason abortion.”

Before filing suit, General O’Connor made a idiosyncratic effort to talk with leaders of Ascension to sermon not suspending oregon firing radical due to the fact that of their sincerely held spiritual beliefs. Ascension refused to accommodate specified requests.

“To endanger our frontline healthcare heroes with suspension and termination, unless they wantonness their beliefs aft they person truthful faithfully and fearlessly braved the pandemic for astir 2 years is simply unconscionable. This cannot beryllium tolerated,” said O’Connor.

The State is asking the Court to artifact Ascension from suspending oregon terminating the employees.

The Petition tin beryllium work here.

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