Penn State faces COVID-19 religious exemption lawsuit brought by former worker
An evangelical Christian who was fired by Penn State argued in a lawsuit filed Friday that the university discriminated and retaliated against him after he requested a religious exemption from the school's weekly COVID-19 testing mandate.
Former remote multimedia specialist Zachary Rackovan, of Blair County, claimed Penn State acted with malice when it approved his request to be exempt from the university's vaccine mandate, but not the testing requirement. Both were in place around the time vaccines became widely available.
'If I were to submit myself to the weekly testing, I would not just be disappointed in myself, I would quite literally be compromising my relationship with God, and my eternal salvation,' Rackovan wrote in an email to the university.
A Penn State spokesperson declined Monday an opportunity to respond to the lawsuit, citing the university's policy against commenting publicly about ongoing litigation.
Rackovan said he submitted his religious accommodation request in October 2021, writing in an email to the university that weekly testing for remote employees was unnecessary and against his religious beliefs. His attorney said Penn State turned down Rackovan's request to reconsider.
His lawsuit said he was disciplined in March 2022 because he was not in compliance with the testing requirement and would be terminated if he did not comply. Rackovan said he was fired two weeks later.
The next business day after Rackovan's firing, Penn State announced it would pause COVID-19 testing for students, faculty and staff. The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission found there was probable cause to show Penn State discriminated against Rackovan.
His five-count lawsuit is seeking back and front pay, court-ordered religious freedom sensitivity training, and compensatory and punitive damages.
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