An Oregon woman failed to convince a federal appeals court to reinstate her lawsuit alleging a health care employer discriminated against her Christian faith in its enforcement of the state’s Covid-19 vaccine mandate for health care workers.

The 2-1 Tuesday decision from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals affirms a November 2023 ruling from U.S. District Court Judge Karin Immergut, who dismissed the claims of Sherry Detwiler, a former privacy officer and director of health information for the nonprofit hospital Mid-Columbia Medical Center located in The Dalles.

Chief District Judge Richard Seeborg wrote that Detwiler’s claims were personal and based on her own understanding of medicine, not her religious beliefs. Detwiler brought her lawsuit against the medical center on the ground

See Full Page