Refusing COVID-19 shots cost casino workers their jobs, suits claim

The lawsuits of several former MGM Resorts International employees claiming they were wrongfully terminated after refusing to receive a COVID-19 vaccine are likely to be consolidated by a federal judge this week.

Six independent complaints filed in the U.S. District Court of Nevada between December 2022 and July 2024 allege that the casino operator wrongfully terminated employees who refused the mandatory vaccine requirement due to religious objections. Three of the complaints have already been consolidated at the request of both parties. Following the filings of two additional complaints on July 10, a federal judge will consider combining the new complaints with the existing joint filing.

The complaints allege MGM Resorts, which operates nine casino hotels and five non-gaming hotels on the Las Vegas Strip, violated federal and state laws against discrimination and engaged in unlawful employment practices.

MGM declined to comment on pending legal matters.

According to court documents, the ex-employees all sought a religious exemption from MGM’s 2021 COVID-19 vaccine mandate for salaried workers. After the exemptions were denied and the employees refused to receive the vaccine, they were fired.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission recently granted the right to sue to two complainants, and the former MGM employees filed lawsuits in federal court within days.

All six former workers are represented by Las Vegas-based law firm Jennings & Fulton.

The employees all worked for MGM casino hotels in Las Vegas. Their years of service ranged from seven to 28, and their positions included food and beverage, casino floor management, marketing and venue management. They worked at various MGM properties in Las Vegas, including New York, New York casino-hotel and MGM Grand casino-hotel.

MGM was the first major domestic casino operator to require COVID-19 shots after a vaccine was approved for mass distribution in 2021. In August of that year, MGM issued a vaccine mandate for all non-hourly employees who were not able to work remotely. The mandate stipulated compliance by Oct. 15, 2021.

The six former employees suing MGM claim they submitted the proper paperwork seeking a religious exemption from the vaccine mandate and filled out a follow-up questionnaire from the company, and were still denied. Since they refused to get the shot, they could not return to work and were subsequently fired.

No less than 15 similar complaints have been filed against MGM or its Las Vegas casinos in federal court. According to court records, seven of those cases have been resolved, including the first such instance filed by a former Aria casino-hotel employee, which was dismissed in October 2023. It’s unclear by court records how and why the cases were resolved or dismissed.

Contact David Danzis at ddanzis@reviewjournal.com. Follow AC_Danzis on X.