our Case

Panozzo v. Riverside Healthcare

In Panozzo v. Riverside Healthcare, the Liberty Justice Center is representing 30 medical professionals who were forced to choose between their fundamental religious beliefs and their livelihoods.

About Panozzo v. Riverside Healthcare

On October 13, 2021, six nurses represented by the Liberty Justice Center filed a lawsuit against their employer, Riverside Healthcare, for forcing them to obtain COVID-19 vaccines in violation of their religious beliefs.

Riverside fired all of them—except one, who felt she had no choice but to violate her religious belief and receive the vaccine to protect her family’s financial security.

The nurses, along with other medical professionals who joined the suit as plaintiffs, argue that being forced to choose between holding to their religious convictions and keeping their jobs violates Title VII of the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964.

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Case Details

CASE NAME

Panozzo v. Riverside Healthcare

Filed

October 13, 2021

Court

Circuit Court for the Twenty-First Circuit in Kankakee County, Illinois

Status

Pending

Liberty Justice Center Attorneys

Jeffrey Schwab

Jeffrey M. Schwab

Jeffrey M. Schwab is a Senior Counsel at the Liberty Justice Center, where he litigates cases to protect the rights to free speech, economic liberty, private property and other Constitutional rights in both federal and state courts across the country.

Panozzo v. Riverside Healthcare Details

Smerconish.com

Thanking Healthcare Heroes by Denying Them Their Freedom of Choice

November 20, 2021

(Smerconish.com)—For the past 20 months, Americans have shown a special gratitude for this country’s healthcare workers. Despite knowing very little about this contagious virus, they have put themselves in harm’s way to take care of the sick and protect others. They truly deserve to be hailed as heroes. But today,...

Fox Business News

Illinois Nurses Denied Religious Vaccine Exemptions

October 19, 2021

(Fox Business News)—Daniel Suhr, managing attorney at Liberty Justice Center, joined Varney & Co on Fox Business to discuss a new lawsuit on behalf of six Illinois nurses who were denied religious exemptions in violation of Illinois law. Liberty Justice Center is representing the nurses in the lawsuit Panozzo v....

The Sean Hannity Show

Defending Religious Freedom

October 18, 2021

(Sean Hannity Show)—Daniel Suhr, Managing attorney at the Liberty Justice Center, joined The Sean Hannity show to discuss Panozzo v. Riverside Healthcare, a new case filed on behalf of six nurses in Illinois whose religious exemptions were denied.  

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Fox News

Chicagoland Nurses Challenge Illinois Vaccine Mandate

October 16, 2021

(Fox News)–Liberty Justice Center managing attorney Daniel Suhr and Nurse Practitioner Neelie Panozzo joined Fox @ Night to discuss religious exemptions for healthcare workers. Liberty Justice Center is representing six nurses in the lawsuit Panozzo v. Riverside Health, which challenges the hospital’s illegal denial of all religious exemption requests.

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