Besser v. Legacy Health
3:23-cv-01438
| D. Or. | Aug 28, 2025Background
- Plaintiffs Terese Lampa and Thomas Wray sued their former employer, Legacy Health, for unlawful employment discrimination following their terminations related to a COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
- Wray, a dispatcher and courier lead with Legacy Health for about nine years, requested a religious exemption based on his claim that "God told him not to get the COVID-19 vaccine."
- Legacy Health denied Wray's religious exemption request, placed him on unpaid leave, and then terminated him for noncompliance with the vaccine requirement.
- Wray alleges that Legacy failed to accommodate his sincerely held religious beliefs, as required by Title VII and Oregon law.
- The case involves a motion to dismiss by Legacy Health targeting only Wray's claims, arguing insufficient pleading of a bona fide religious belief.
Issues
| Issue | Plaintiff's Argument | Defendant's Argument | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sufficiency of religious belief allegations for Title VII claim | Wray alleges God personally instructed him not to get vaccinated, linking religious belief to action. | Legacy argues Wray only offers conclusory statements and lacks factual detail showing religious conflict. | Court finds Wray plausibly alleged a religious belief; motion to dismiss denied. |
Key Cases Cited
- Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662 (pleading standard for facial plausibility)
- Tiano v. Dillard Dep’t Stores, Inc., 139 F.3d 679 (prima facie elements of religious discrimination under Title VII)
- Shroyer v. New Cingular Wireless Servs., Inc., 622 F.3d 1035 (motion to dismiss standard)
- Wilson v. Hewlett-Packard Co., 668 F.3d 1136 (pleading standards and inference in favor of plaintiff)
- Biden v. Missouri, 595 U.S. 87 (upholding federal healthcare vaccine mandate authority)