In a striking case of alleged religious discrimination and retaliation, a long-serving employee has taken legal action against her former employer. Renata Butauskiene filed a complaint on June 7, 2024, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against Burr Ridge Community Consolidated School District 180. The lawsuit accuses the school district of creating a hostile work environment and ultimately terminating her employment due to her refusal to receive a COVID-19 vaccination based on her deeply held religious beliefs.
Renata Butauskiene, who had worked for the school district since 1998, asserts that she holds a sincere religious belief opposing vaccinations. This belief led her to seek an exemption from the school district's mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy implemented in 2021. Initially denied by the school district despite her consistent opposition to all vaccinations since at least 1995, Butauskiene filed a Charge of Discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Subsequently, she was granted a religious accommodation but faced ongoing harassment and discrimination that culminated in her termination.
The complaint details Butauskiene’s extensive contributions to the school district over more than two decades, including developing curricula for school libraries and translating for local families. Despite glowing evaluations and commendations from colleagues, her situation took a turn when Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker issued Executive Order 2021-20 mandating COVID-19 vaccinations for all school personnel. Although this order allowed exemptions for sincerely held religious beliefs, Butauskiene’s initial requests were met with skepticism and rejection by the school district.
After filing with the EEOC and finally receiving an exemption in November 2021, Butauskiene alleges that she was subjected to discriminatory treatment not faced by other employees. She was required to provide medical documentation for every sick day taken—even single-day absences—while other employees only needed such documentation after three consecutive days of absence. This differential treatment extended to docking her pay and altering her work rules agreement unilaterally.
The complaint highlights specific instances where Butauskiene felt targeted: being suspended without pay before receiving her exemption, having access restrictions placed on her security fob hindering her ability to perform duties, and facing threats of disciplinary action if she did not comply with new stringent requirements not imposed on others. Her efforts to discuss these issues with superiors were rebuffed or met with further hostility.
In addition to claims of religious discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, Butauskiene also alleges retaliation by the school district for filing her EEOC charge. She argues that after accommodating her religious beliefs superficially, the school district continued to scrutinize and penalize her disproportionately compared to similarly situated employees without religious objections or those who had not filed complaints.
Butauskiene seeks judgment from the court for back pay, front pay, lost benefits, compensatory damages, attorney’s fees, costs associated with bringing this action forward, and any other relief deemed fair and just by the court.
Representing Renata Butauskiene are attorneys Jared M. Schneider and Aaron R. Brand from Schneider Law P.C., while Judge presiding over this case is yet unnamed under Case No.: 1:24-cv-4753.