EEOC Sues Mayo Clinic Over COVID-19 Religious Discrimination

The EEOC filed a lawsuit against the Mayo Clinic, alleging it violated federal civil rights law by denying a security guard’s request for a religious accommodation to its mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy. The employee explained his religious objections to the vaccine and offered to undergo regular testing and masking as alternatives. Mayo rejected the request, questioned the sincerity of his beliefs, and threatened termination. This effectively forced the employee to get vaccinated to keep his job. The EEOC argues this violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations for sincerely held religious beliefs unless doing so would cause undue hardship. The agency seeks damages and policy changes to prevent future violations. For employees, this case is a reminder that you have the right to request a reasonable religious accommodation in the workplace without fear of retaliation. If your request is denied or ignored, you may have legal options. See EEOC v. Mayo Clinic, Case No. 0:25-cv-03066 (D. Minn.).