Former Tennessee BlueCross BlueShield employee, Tanja Benton, was awarded nearly $700,000 in backpay and damages by a grand jury after she refused to take the company’s mandated COVID-19 vaccine, court filings show.
A federal jury in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee found last week the insurance company owes Benton $687,240 after she was let go from her position as a biostatistical research scientist. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Jim Banks Demands Pentagon Hand Over Stats That Could Debunk COVID-19 Vax Argument)
According to the judge’s filing, BlueCross BlueShield “did not prove by a preponderance of the evidence either that it had offered a reasonable accommodation to Plaintiff or that it could not reasonably accommodate the Plaintiff’s religious beliefs without undue hardship.”
Benton had worked at the insurance company from 2005 till 2022 prior to the company rolling out the vaccine mandates during the pandemic, according to the Washington Examiner. As the former insurance employee had worked remotely without complaint for a year and a half, she detailed within her case that her position not only didn’t interact face to face with many people, but she only had a client list of 10 to 12 people each year, News Channel 9 reported.
Incredible. A Federal Jury has determined that Blue Cross BlueShield of Tennessee must pay $700,000 to an employee that was fired for refusing the COVID vaccine.
Tanja Benton was a bio statistical research scientist at BCBS for 17+ yrs before they fired her for refusing the vax.… pic.twitter.com/OPRDvaB2Rt
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) July 1, 2024
After the company had mandated the vaccine, Benton filed a religious exemption which they denied. Benton then filed an appeal, however, she was reportedly told there were no exceptions to someone in her position, as a company representative reportedly encouraged her to reach out to other jobs, the Washington Examiner reported.
Benton was ultimately fired from her position, leading her to file the case against the company.
“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. We appreciate our former employees’ service to our members and communities throughout their time with BlueCross,” the insurance company said in a statement to News Channel in response to the ruling.
