NEW ORLEANS – A former Chevron employee has filed a lawsuit claiming the company terminated his employment for requesting a religious exemption from receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.
Michael Brashear filed his federal complaint November 6 against Chevron USA citing allegations of religious discrimination.
Brashear, who lives in Poplarville, Mississippi, says he was an employee of Chevron for 16 years until his termination on January 4, 2022. In March 2020, Chevron implemented a work-from-home policy because of the coronavirus pandemic. Brashear says he continued working remotely.
In August 2021, Chevron implemented a COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Brashear, who is a Christian, says he requested an exemption on the grounds of his religious beliefs, which allegedly was denied as a "personal preference." He claims Chevron unjustifiably rejected reasonable accommodation options, such as continuing to work remotely, periodic COVID-19 testing, demonstrating natural immunity, wearing masks, finding a non-"in-scope" job or a combination of these options.
Brashear says Chevron granted similar accommodations to other employees, but the company subsequently placed him on unpaid leave for refusing to receive the vaccine and terminated his employment.
Brashear says Chevron violated Title VII, which prohibits religious discrimination in employment, by failing to reasonably accommodate his religious objections to the COVID-19 vaccine and engaging in disparate treatment against him based on his religious beliefs.
Brashear is seeking compensatory damages for back pay, front pay, emotional pain, suffering, inconvenience, loss of enjoyment of life, humiliation and loss of civil rights as well as punitive damages, interest, attorney fees, court costs and other relief. He also seeks an injunction ordering Chevron to expunge all of his personnel files of derogatory information and to provide specific training on Title VII to company managers and supervisors.
He is being represented by Charlotte Y. Bergeron of the Law Office of Charlotte Y. Bergeron in Lake Charles, Louisiana; Walker Moller of Siri Glimstad in Austin, Texas; and Jack R. Spitz of Siri Glimstad in Parsippany, N.J.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana case number 2:23-cv-06720