Jury Punishes Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee

In a victory for religious exemptions rights, the Tennessee Star has reported that a jury awarded Tanya Benton of Chattnooga $687,240, to be paid by her former employer Blue Cross Blue Shield of TN (BCBST). The jury found that BCBST failed to accommodate Benton in the workplace when she filed a religious exemption against their COVID-19 shot requirement. The punitive damage portion of the award was $500,000. Such a high award in such cases generally indicates the jury found the defendants actions were egregious and wanted to send a message that such behavior should never be repeated.