Andrew Hunt sued Sunrise Operations LLC and The Pasha Group alleging religious discrimination after the companies allegedly refused to accommodate his request for a religious exemption from their COVID-19 vaccine requirement. Hunt claims he was treated differently than other employees who were permitted to work while unvaccinated.
Judge Illston found that The Pasha Group's disputed chart showing individuals who requested medical and religious exemptions and their employment outcomes was not privileged. 'This information is highly relevant to plaintiff's theory that defendants discriminated against him by refusing to accommodate his religious exemption request and that others were permitted to remain or come aboard while unvaccinated,' Illston wrote in her order.
The ruling came after the court ordered defendants to provide certain documents for in-camera review following discovery disputes. While Judge Illston rejected privilege claims over the exemption chart, she upheld attorney-client privilege protections for several communications between Sunrise Operations' employees and counsel, including emails between company officials Ed Washburn and Amy Sherburne-Manning.
The decision allows Hunt's legal team to access potentially crucial evidence about how the companies handled vaccine exemption requests from other employees. The case highlights ongoing litigation over COVID-19 workplace policies and religious accommodation requirements under federal employment discrimination laws.