If you’re wondering, “Can my employer ignore my religion and fire me?”—you’re probably dealing with something deeply personal and unjust, likely religious discrimination or the failure of your job to provide you with a religious workplace accommodation. The short answer is: no, not without trying to accommodate you first. And if your employer didn’t even try, you may have a valid claim under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
In the recently decided case Chinnery v. Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Mid-Atlantic States, Inc., No. 24-1697, 2025 WL 1733959 (4th Cir. June 23, 2025), the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit made clear that employees have a right to have their sincerely held religious beliefs taken seriously—even at the very start of a lawsuit.
What Counts As Religious Discrimination Or A Religious Workplace Accommodation?
Under Title VII, employers are prohibited from discriminating against employees on the basis of religion. That includes failing to accommodate a sincerely held religious belief unless doing so would create an undue hardship on the business. Religion isn’t limited to church attendance or mainstream doctrines. As the Fourth Circuit noted, it can include “moral or ethical beliefs as to what is right and wrong which are sincerely held with the strength of traditional religious views.”
In Chinnery, the employee alleged she was a “faithful Christian” whose beliefs prohibited her from inserting a foreign object—like a COVID-19 nasal swab—into her body. She told her employer that this testing would violate her faith because her “body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and is to remain pure.”
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Can My Employer Dismiss My Religious Claim As Not Real?
Here’s the key: an employer—and by extension, a court—cannot dismiss your religious accommodation claim just because they don’t understand or agree with your beliefs. That’s where the lower court went wrong in Chinnery. It dismissed the case too early, demanding more detailed allegations about the sincerity of her faith.
You don’t need to be Ned Flanders to have religious rights—Title VII covers more than just traditional faith. The law does not require your beliefs to conform to organized religion or mainstream doctrine. If your belief is sincerely held and religious in nature—even if it’s unfamiliar to your boss or HR—it may be protected. Courts are not allowed to weigh whether your religion is “real enough” or “orthodox enough.”
The Fourth Circuit reversed the dismissal. Quoting Barnett v. Inova Health Care Servs., 125 F.4th 465 (4th Cir. 2025), the Court held that “the inquiry into sincerity is almost exclusively a credibility assessment and can rarely be determined on summary judgment, let alone a motion to dismiss” Chinnery, 2025 WL 1733959 at 2.
In other words, sincerity is usually something for a jury to decide—not something that gets tossed out in the first round.
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How Do I Get Religious Accommodations At Work?
The Court reviewed Chinnery’s allegations and found that her statements about her Christian beliefs and her objections to the COVID test were sufficient to move forward. She explained that her religion prohibits “anything unholy, unpure,” and that she could not allow a foreign body to violate what she considers sacred.
The Fourth Circuit held that these statements were similar to those found sufficient in Barnett, where the employee refused a vaccine because she believed it was sinful and against her understanding of God’s will. The Court emphasized that an employee’s own framing of what is religious must be “given great weight.” Chinnery, 2025 WL 1733959 at 2.
This case is a strong reminder that the law protects the rights of employees to follow their faith—even when their beliefs are unconventional or misunderstood.
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What If I Was Fired For Refusing To Do Something That Violates My Faith?
If your employer said “too bad” when you asked for a religious accommodation—or worse, fired you without even exploring your request—that could be illegal. Title VII does not require you to prove your entire religion is against a policy. It requires only that your belief is sincerely held and religious in nature.
The Fourth Circuit made clear that a motion to dismiss is not the place to second-guess a person’s faith. Your case should not be thrown out just because the employer thinks your beliefs aren’t traditional enough. And frankly, if the tables were turned, the employer wouldn’t accept a vague or weak excuse from an employee who failed to follow a workplace rule. So why should the employer get a free pass for failing to follow the law?
What Should I Do If My Employer Denied My Religious Accommodation?
Start by writing everything down. In Chinnery, the employee made her request for a religious workplace accommodation in writing and used explicit faith-based language. She informed her employer that her “sincerely-held Christian beliefs” prohibited COVID testing because it would violate the sanctity of her body, which she described as the “temple of the Holy Spirit.” That kind of specificity helped her claim survive dismissal. The court was able to see not only the religious nature of her belief, but also that she communicated it clearly and early in the process.
Document your request, your employer’s response, and any communications or meetings you had about the issue. Keep a timeline. Save emails. The more details you preserve, the stronger your potential case.
Then call an employment lawyer. Fast. These cases turn on facts and timelines, and having the best attorney on your side makes a difference. A good employment lawyer will know how to show that your beliefs meet the legal standard and that your employer failed to accommodate you.
Where Can I Find The Best Attorney To Handle Religious Discrimination Claims?
If that’s your question, the answer is Spitz, The Employee’s Law Firm. We are one of the largest law firms in the United States exclusively dedicated to employee rights. That means we have the resources, knowledge, and commitment to stand up to employers who violate the law.
We offer a free initial consultation and a No Fee Guarantee—you don’t pay unless we win. Our employment lawyers have vast experience in trial and negotiation, and we’ve helped employees just like you stand up for their beliefs, their rights, and their jobs. What sets us apart is not just our results, but our compassion. We care about our clients, and we fight for them with everything we’ve got.
If you believe you were wrongfully fired or discriminated against because of your faith, don’t wait. Call Spitz, The Employee’s Law Firm today.
Employment Lawyer Disclaimer
This blog provides general information and should not be taken as legal advice. Every situation is different. If you believe you’ve been a victim of employment discrimination, retaliation, wrongful termination, religious discrimination, or other violations of your employment law rights, you should consult directly with a qualified employment lawyer or attorney. No promises are being made or implied by the information above. This blog is a legal advertisement intended for informational and marketing purposes. We strongly encourage any employee who has been wrongfully fired or denied accommodation to seek personalized advice from the best available employment law professionals.