Preferential treatment based on religious beliefs lands employer in hot water

As a recent case demonstrates, favoring employees based on their religion can be as troublesome as penalizing employees for their religious beliefs.

Religion at the hospital

Stephanie Osei was employed as a nurse at Brookside Hospital Medical Center for 22 years. For the last three years, she worked in the hospital’s Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU), where she consistently received favorable evaluations from her supervisors.

Dr. Adebayo Esan was a critical care physician in the SICU. He was also a pastor for Covenant Nation Church. According to Osei, some SICU staff members shared Esan’s religious beliefs, contributed to Covenant Nation Church, and attended prayer meetings that Esan held at the hospital. Osei did none of those things.

Employee’s complaints of religious favoritism and alleged conduct

In an email to the hospital’s director of labor relations, Osei reported that the SICU employees who shared Esan’s religious beliefs received preferential treatment in the form of favorable work assignments, while others like Osei received less favorable assignments and were “subjected to false disciplinary reports.” Further, Osei’s email complained that a SICU nurse who was “a member of Dr. Esan’s religious cohort” had acted “insubordinately and unprofessionally” toward Osei without any consequences.