News Release
RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CA —Pacific Justice Institute (PJI) filed a federal lawsuit this week on behalf of a Trader Joe’s employee fired for requesting a religious accommodation to taking the COVID-19 vaccine.
Gregg Crawford, a devout Christian throughout his adult life, worked as an exemplary management employee at Trader Joe’s for 26 years. In July 2021, Trader Joe’s announced that store managers must take the COVID-19 vaccine, a striking contradiction to the grocery store’s distinctive focus on natural, organic, preservative-free products. Crawford respectfully requested a religious accommodation that Trader Joe’s initially granted.
However, shortly after Crawford’s accommodation was initially granted, the grocery store’s regional manager informed Crawford that only vaccinated employees would be permitted to attend a required Leader’s Meeting in August; failure to attend the meeting would negatively affect Crawford’s performance review.
PJI’s staff attorney, Ronald Hackenberg, sent a letter to Trader Joe’s on Crawford’s behalf, pointing out the discriminatory nature of blocking Crawford from the meeting because he was not vaccinated and then subjecting him to adverse job actions for non-attendance. Although PJI’s letter suggested several alternatives that would allow Crawford to still attend the meeting, such as undergoing COVID-19 testing and participating by Zoom, Trader Joe’s refused to interact with Crawford to explore those accommodation options and instead fired him.
While Crawford’s letter through legal counsel reminded Trader Joe’s of state and federal law and suggested reasonable accommodations, Trader Joe’s described his communication as an “adversarial perspective” and a conflict with the interests of the company.
PJI initiated this case, Crawford v. Trader Joe’s, Case No. 5:21-cv-01519-JGB-SHK, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
“Trader Joe’s mandate that employees inject themselves with experimental vaccines while building an empire on giving customers natural, healthy options is hypocritical,” Brad Dacus, President of PJI, commented. “COVID-19 has not suspended the obligations of employers under federal and state law to take seriously and accommodate employees with religious objections.”
To see the actual complaint filed by PJI, please click here
Running the Race,
Brad Dacus
President and Founder, Pacific Justice Institute
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That really is incredibly hypocritical and disheartening. I guess I will be taking my shopping somewhere else….Sprouts, Mother’s? Hopefully, this will go to the Supreme Court. Boo Trader Joes.
Good thing we have laws and a Constitution so disputes of this nature can be fully heard in a court of law, as opposed to drawing conclusions based on partial, biased information as the very delicate Citizens Opinion readers do in the comments section of these “work the right wing into a tizzy” Opinion pieces.
Do your OWN research and follow the money. Rugged individualism. Stop whining.
Right on , great job PJI!
Trader Joe’s threatened my husband ( Manager) with forcing him to take a “voluntary leave of absence” if he refused the vaccine. He was going to be allowed to Zoom into the Captain’s meeting ( August meeting was cancelled) . They bullied and threatened him into getting it. After 23years working for TJS, this is how they treat him? I will never forgive them for what they’ve done to him. He was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
Awesome! Good work!
Forcing injection by these EUA gene-modification platforms under threat of firing is in direct violation of the Nuremberg Trials outcomes.
I would request the employers to sign a statement that they fully understand the mechanism of action of these mRNA clot-shots, along with the documented side effect profile of them as well…
I believe that these low-information corporations are treating these mRNA shots like traditional flu shots, and they’re hiding behind the corrupt FDA, WHO and CDC guidelines….
Truly disgusting…
But good on PJI for filing suit and hopefully for filing many, many more!!!