U.S. citizens: Demand Congress investigate soaring excess death rates

(LifeSiteNews) — Insurance giant Blue Cross/Blue Shield must pay nearly $700,000 in damages to a former employee after refusing to grant her a religious exemption to its COVID jab mandate.

A federal jury awarded the damages to Tanja Benton last week. She first filed her lawsuit in May 2022.

Benton “proved by a preponderance of evidence that her refusal to receive the Covid vaccination was based upon a sincerely held religious belief,” according to the June 28 judgement order posted by journalist Robby Starbuck.

The total damages work out to $687,240.00.

Benton worked as a biostatistical research scientist for 16 years according to the initial lawsuit. Since lockdowns began in spring 2020, she “rarely” interacted in-person with clients, according to the lawsuit. “For some clients, several years would pass before requesting a meeting with Plaintiff,” the lawsuit stated. The lawsuit estimated just one percent of her “working hours…involved client interaction.”

Benton also “never performed any work or attended any meetings in medical facilities where patients were being treated,” during her entire career.

She objected to the vaccine due to her religious beliefs, since the COVID shots are derived from aborted fetal cell lines. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 generally requires employers to try to accommodate the religious beliefs of their employees.

The initial lawsuit stated:

Because of her sincerely held religious beliefs, Plaintiff refused to be vaccinated for COVID-19. Specifically, Plaintiff firmly believes, based upon personal research, that all COVID 19 vaccines are derived from aborted fetus cell lines. Because of her sincerely held religious beliefs concerning abortion, Plaintiff cannot in good conscience consume the vaccine, which would not only defile her body but also anger and dishonor God.

Even though she rarely interacted face-to-face with clients and could perform her job without ever needing to do, the company required her to get jabbed, and eventually fired her for her refusal.

The insurance company stood by its jab mandate.

“The vaccine requirement was the best decision for the health and safety of our employees and members – some of whom are the most vulnerable in the state – and our communities,” WTVC reported. “We appreciate our former employees’ service to our members and communities throughout their time with BlueCross.”

The safety and efficacy of the vaccine has been questioned, as numerous side effects including death, heart attacks, and strokes have been linked to the jabs. The shots also have not proven to be as effective as promised in reducing transmission of COVID-19.

The company continues to face legal troubles, according to Insurance Business.

The trade publication reported “a group of employees terminated by BCBST for a Title VII violation concerning religious discrimination linked to the COVID-19 vaccine mandate are currently litigating against the state’s largest health insurer.”

The jab mandate led to 41 terminations, according to Insurance Business. “Numerous employees submitted requests for religious exemptions and reasonable accommodations, such as continuing telecommuting or undergoing regular testing,” the outlet reported. “According to the group, BCBST responded by giving them 30 days to either get vaccinated, find another job, or face termination – essentially declining the requests for religious exemptions.”

Tennessee also passed a law in 2021 that forbade companies operating in the state from requiring COVID shots. It followed an executive mandate from President Joe Biden’s administration that required many employees to take the abortion-tainted jabs. That mandate was subsequently largely thrown out by the Supreme Court.

Vaccine mandates were meant to inflict pain, according to public officials

Cities and counties also imposed vaccine passport requirements, sometimes on kids as young as five. The mandates required individuals to show their shot papers to watch a movie in a theater or eat a burger in a restaurant.

In several instances, public officials admitted the purpose of the COVID shot mandates were to make life difficult for individuals who objected.

“To put it simply, if you have been living vaccine-free, your time is up. If you wish to live life as w/the ease to do the things you love, you must be vax’d,” former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said in December 2021. “This health order may pose an inconvenience to the unvaccinated, and in fact it is inconvenient by design.”

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser also went door to door with then-director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Anthony Fauci pressuring residents to get jabbed, as shown in a PBS documentary. She imposed a vaccine passport system on the city.

“They need a push, a push, and a drag,” Mayor Bowser says in one clip. Bowser and Fauci went door-to-door with a group of D.C. residents to pressure citizens to get the shot.

U.S. citizens: Demand Congress investigate soaring excess death rates