A case brought by a manger at a Tyson Foods facility in Monett, Mo. was removed to the Western District of Missouri Tuesday, after being originally filed in Barr County Circuit Court. The lawsuit claims that Tyson’s requirement that the plaintiff be vaccinated against COVID-19 or fired violated his Constitutional rights.
The plaintiff said he has worked for Tyson since 2013. The lawsuit arose from Tyson’s vaccine mandate, issued in August. The plaintiff claimed that Tyson did not accommodate his religious objection to the vaccine, purportedly contrary to state law. He was replaced in his role by another employee in late October.
Among the counts brought against Tyson by the plaintiff are violations of public policy, assault, breach of contract, invasion of privacy, and religious discrimination. The plaintiff objected to the Missouri Commission on Human Rights’ inability to complete an investigation of his complaint before the vaccine mandate went into effect. In addition to damages, the plaintiff filed a motion for a temporary injunction alongside the complaint.
The plaintiff is represented by Appleby Healy. Tyson Foods is represented by Littler Mendelson.
