UT-Battelle to Pay Over $2.8 Million to Settle EEOC COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate-Related Religious Discrimination Charges

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - In a settlement with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), UT-Battelle, LLC (UT-Battelle) agreed to pay more than $2.8 million in monetary relief to a class of employees.

As a result of its investigation, the EEOC found reasonable cause to believe that UT-Battelle discriminated against a class of employees based on their sincerely held religious beliefs by denying them a religious accommodation involving the organization's COVID-19 vaccine policy. Such alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended (Title VII), which prohibits discrimination based on religion.

The settlement with the EEOC resolved a 2021 Commissioner's charge filed by then-Commissioner Andrea Lucas and provides relief to a class of employees who worked at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and requested a religious accommodation from UT-Battelle's vaccine mandate policy.

"I am grateful for the field's hard work in this investigation, and UT-Battelle's commitment to voluntarily rectifying its alleged Title VII violations by compensating its employees and agreeing to injunctive relief is commendable," said EEOC Acting Chair Lucas. "While COVID-19 vaccine mandates were a novelty, our long-standing civil rights laws remain unchanged - absent an undue hardship, employers must provide a reasonable accommodation to its employees for their sincerely held religious beliefs."

Following the EEOC's investigation, the parties engaged in the pre-litigation conciliation process which resulted in a two-year agreement requiring UT-Battelle to provide back pay and compensatory damages to the aggrieved individuals. The agreement also requires UT-Battelle to recirculate its religious accommodation policies and train human resources personnel on religious accommodation requests.

"UT-Battelle has always respected the religious beliefs and practices of its employees," said Stephen Streiffer, President and CEO of UT-Battelle. "The COVID-19 pandemic required extraordinary measures to protect staff members' health and safety while they worked together to keep the lab open. During unprecedented times, their dedication allowed us to continue fulfilling our national missions, including the production of medical isotopes to fight cancer and support national security. We appreciate the assistance of the EEOC in resolving these disputes, which allows us to move forward fully focused on our work for the nation."

For more information on religious discrimination, visit: https://www.eeoc.gov/religious-discrimination.

The EEOC's Memphis District Office has jurisdiction over Tennessee, Arkansas and Northern Mississippi with Area Offices in Nashville and Little Rock.

The EEOC is the sole federal agency authorized to investigate and litigate against businesses and other private sector employers for violations of federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. For public sector employers, the EEOC shares jurisdiction with the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division; the EEOC is responsible for investigating charges against state and local government employers before referring them to DOJ for potential litigation. The EEOC also is responsible for coordinating the federal government's employment antidiscrimination effort. More information about the EEOC is available at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates.