Credit: Acts Retirement.
Acts Retirement–Life Communities, based in Fort Washington and one of the largest senior living operators in the U.S., won a religious bias lawsuit filed by four former employees who were terminated for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine.
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Alabama ruled in favor of Acts, stating that the organization was exempt from religious discrimination claims under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Judge Kristi K. DuBose determined that Acts qualified as a religious organization due to its Christian mission and historical ties to the Church of the Open Door.
The lawsuit was filed in 2022 by four former employees of Westminster Village in Spanish Fort, Ala., who alleged wrongful termination, harassment, and a hostile work environment after refusing the vaccine based on their religious beliefs. They argued that their bodies were temples and should not be subjected to experimental medical treatments. Acts had implemented a companywide vaccine mandate in 2021, with only limited exemptions, and countered that the employees’ requests created an undue hardship. The company maintained that it remained committed to the health and safety of residents and staff during the pandemic.
Judge DuBose ruled that Acts' Christian mission and adherence to its religious principles made it exempt from liability for religious discrimination under Title VII. She emphasized that although Acts no longer receives financial support from its founding church, it continues to uphold its faith-based mission in both policy and practice.
