Terminated For Declining Gender Reassignment Surgery Due To Religious Beliefs.

This happened to my wife. A complaint was filed with the EEOC and right to sue was provided. The value of the case is currently in question.

She is a nearly 10 year RN that specializes in the OR. She's worked in multiple level 1 trauma centers and handled cases of all types. 3 years as a travel RN that started during covid. The facility had renewed her contract several times as she was so well like and a productive travel RN.

Typically, for cases such as abortions and gender reassignment, she has been able to request another room and has been accommodated. Cases like gender reassignment are scheduled well in advance that a hospital usually has identified staff that can accommodate the surgery. Then, they also usually have a backup team. And in some cases, a backup to the backup team.

She came into work and to start the day found she was assigned a gender reassignment case. She sent a text (has screenshots) to her manager requesting to be assigned to another room due to her religious beliefs. The manager replied "???". As she was requested, she was placed assigned another case.

The manager asks another nurse, the next nurse gives the same reason, the manager accommodates that nurse. The manager goes to the third nurse, that nurse also requests to not do the case. My wife is then told that since she was the original nurse assigned to the room she can either take the case or go home. She said she still refuses to do the case and went home awaiting HR contact.

A few days later via phone conference call, she was told her contract was being terminated and a ban was placed on her at each of the organizations facilities. They specifically stated over the phone, "we stand behind our LGBT community". In all her time she has never refused care of a patient that has required any other type of care. The specific surgery of gender reassignment is where she draws the line. It also goes with her sworn commitment as a nurse to do no harm.

This is where it gets a bit complicated. Her travel agency also represents the second nurse who refused the surgery for the same reason. That nurse was not terminated and was given the opportunity to sign a document for such cases that my wife was not given. The third nurse I believe was a FT employee of the facility and also was not terminated. The agency did not attempt to overturn her termination and would not provide the documents pertaining to her termination. We still have not seen documentation related to her termination.

As a result of the termination and banning of hospitals within this organization, she was without work for almost 3 months and we had to move our family out of our home state to provide for our family. While out state at her new assignment, she had two medical episodes, one happening while on shift and she was hospitalized. Seemingly induced by stress as these have not happened before or after this period of time we were displaced. It has been a little over a year now and we were able to get enough money to our home state. She found a normal full-time position in a competing organization.

She ultimately enjoyed the previous organization more and would return if given the opportunity. The ban seems unnecessary as only one location performs such surgeries and our area has many other locations she could work at and never have this issue arise again.

The value is in question as we're seeking representation and quite underwhelming from what we were expecting. The things we're considering are lost wages, moving expenses, dog kenneled for 6 months as we couldn't take him with us, hospital bill from her medical episode, long term effects on her health due to stress, to name a few.

On paper her next assignment was slightly more in pay but in a state and city with a much higher cost of living. Then of course returning to our home state to work as a full-time nurse which is substantially lower than any travel position.

If possible to approximate, what would the settlement of a case like this be?