Healthcare workers at Massachusetts General Hospital and its sister facilities failed for a second time to block the health system's COVID-19 vaccine mandate, after a Boston federal judge said Thursday that forcing the hospital to put up with more unvaccinated workers is too heavy a burden.
Two lawsuits brought against the Town of Bourne and former Bourne fire chief Norman P. Sylvester have been dismissed in US District Court for Massachusetts in Boston.
The lawsuits alleged a violation of a former firefighterâs constitutional right to freedom of religion, and violation of state law for refusing payment benefits for work-related mental anguish.
The dismissals were part of a decision handed down by Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV on June 28. Both the Town of Bourne and Chief Sylvester requested summary judgments as opposed to jury trials, meaning the presiding judge decides a case based on facts presented by the two sides.
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Massachusetts courts have sent several recent reminders to employers that the courts will scrutinize discrimination and harassment allegations carefully before letting employers off the hook. Employers need to remember to keep their employees, especially their supervisors, up to date on recent developments, conduct appropriate and timely trainings and carefully consider adverse employment actions. Employers should investigate any claims before they escalate to costly, and perhaps unnecessary, litigation.
In
Equal Opportunity Commission v. Aviation Port Services, for example, Chief Federal District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV, on April 1, 2021, awarded default damages in a case in which the EEOC contended that Aviation Port Services fired six female Passenger Service Agents when they refused to wear pants or knee-length skirts, despite requests for a religious accommodation. Chief Judge Saylor noted that APS’ Saf
February 26, 2021
In Massachusetts and the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) has reportedly lost its appeal against an earlier ruling that is preventing it from unilaterally bringing a Class II electronic bingo hall to land it owns on the island of Martha’s Vineyard.
According to a Thursday report from The Martha’s Vineyard Times newspaper, the federally-recognized tribe has long been hoping to open its envisioned Aquinnah Cliffs gaming venue on a 17-acre parcel of land situated near the tiny town of Aquinnah. However, this plan has purportedly attracted a number of legal actions from opponents who contend that the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) does not have the right to debut such a facility without first gaining local approvals.