by Jayla Ward • 2 minutes
We are happy to announce that we reached an amicable resolution in our case involving Colette McCadd, a former employee of The Kraft Heinz Company.
First Liberty and volunteer attorneys at Hacker Stephens represented her in a lawsuit claiming that she was terminated for her religious beliefs regarding the COVID-19 vaccine.
“We are thrilled to have reached this resolution for Colette,” said First Liberty Senior Counsel Stephanie Taub. “The law protects the religious liberty rights of all Americans in the marketplace, and we are proud to represent courageous people of faith like Colette.”
Colette was an excellent employee who worked at the company for almost 20 years, most recently as a culinary Senior Manager. She was well-respected, never disciplined and consistently received exemplary reviews.
According to her lawsuit, in 2021, Kraft mandated that all employees be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to return to the office. Because of her sincerely held beliefs, Colette sought a religious accommodation. But Kraft rejected her request, while allowing other employees’ medical and religious exemptions.
Shortly after her request was denied, Colette was terminated.
Colette filed a religious-discrimination charge with the Illinois Department of Human Rights and the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. She then filed a federal lawsuit claiming religious discrimination under Title VII. When the district court rejected Colette’s evidence, First Liberty stepped in to challenge its decision and fight for her religious rights.
This month, after a four-year legal battle, the parties reached an amicable resolution to the matter.
“My faith is the most important thing to me,” Colette shared. “I am very grateful to First Liberty for stepping in to help me fight the good fight of faith and believing in me, my faith and my case. I am thankful for the resources, time, counsel and prayers throughout the entire process and would recommend this team for anyone who is fighting for their religious freedom.”
Thank you for supporting First Liberty. You’re the driving force behind our work. This is the start of a new chapter in life for Colette—and you played a big part in making this resolution happen.
The battle for religious liberty in the workplace, however, is far from over.
Your gift to First Liberty helped secure a resolution for Colette. But many more Americans still need your help and continued support. Every dollar you give goes a long way in helping us win for our clients who’ve been punished or fired because of their faith.
Please give to First Liberty today.
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