** Represented by one of the top firms in the fight against Covid mandates, Mendenhall Law Group, we are a team of 12 healthcare workers in a lawsuit against our previous employer, Berkshire Health Systems in Western MA, due to being terminated for not receiving the COVID 19 vaccine for religious and medical reasons.**

Thank you for taking a minute to read through our story of how our former employers, Berkshire Health Systems (BHS) in Berkshire County of Western Massachusetts, fired over 70+ employees in November 2021, following a one month suspension without pay, for not receiving the mRNA COVID 19 vaccination of which the overwhelming majority had applied for religious/medical exemptions on forms provided by BHS.

BHS also declined to recognize natural immunity with evidence of positive COVID 19 antibodies or allow weekly testing, continued masking, etc.

One day the PPE we had worn since the start of the pandemic was acceptable and the next day it was not. 

Update 1: It is with extreme sadness to announce that our dearly beloved lawyer, Jeffery Scrimo, unexpectedly died on July 4th, 2024 leaving behind his wife, two daughters, and father. We pray daily for them and ask God for their peace. Jeff was a cherished member of the legal community in Berkshire County and he will be greatly missed, remembered for his passion in the pursuit of Justice, and unwavering dedication to those he loved.

Update 2: Under God’s provision, We were introduced to Warner Mendenhall and Brian Unger of Warner Mendenhall Law Firm out of Akron, OH and Boston, MA. Warner co-founded Freedom Counsel after the COVID Litigation Conference in Atlanta in 2023 and they work with attorneys, medical professionals, scientists, and citizens who are working to take action against mandates related to COVID 19 vaccines and his team is determined to help us battle this out in trial.

Update 3: We have finished up the discovery phase of our legal battle as of 4/2025 and things are ramping up! If you're considering donation, now is a great time because we have a lot to pay out! 🙏

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Article by The Berkshire Eagle

July 13th 2023 - seems in favor of us! 

https://www.berkshireeagle.com/news/local/pittsfield-great-barrington-vaccine-covid-19-pandemic-bmc-fairview-hospital-medical-berkshire-health-systems-lawsuit-religious-exemption/article_9009f882-20f3-11ee-bd6d-37e07f99ea10.html?utm_campaign=blox&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&fbclid=IwAR1d4KJo3J-n9KK2pAhsy1gS4Wn4Rsz2Hw-rkhkszMk1QhFHsk381YXiZKQ 

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Of the 70+ employees terminated, thirteen (13) whose exemptions were denied have agreed to come forward in order to hold BHS accountable for their unlawful determination that we are putting others at risk. Within one month after firing and formally rendering us a danger to the community, word got out that dozens of vaccinated workers were out sick with the virus they were said to be protected against. When we asked for our jobs back we were denied. 

The science is clear that we do not pose a risk to our patients, colleagues, or any other person vaccinated or otherwise. See study at link: https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.07.31.21261387v1 Posted July 31, 2021 and updated on July 05, 2022 with the same findings - COVID 19 vaccinated and un-vaccinated persons carry the same viral load making them equally transmissible to transmit the virus. 

These courageous women who range from clinicians, nurses, radiologic technologists, medical assistants, and administrative personnel have not only endured the hardship of losing their income (some have lost their home) but also losing medical/dental/life insurance, vehicles, childcare, experiencing emotional distress, and much more. BHS has made this very personal as some of these women are the sole breadwinners in their family and have been with the company for over 20 years in an area of the state with little job opportunities. They even terminated a worker who was vaccine injured.

To add insult to injury, we were all initially denied unemployment benefits by the state of Massachusetts through the Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA) because BHS checked a box that we said we had “violated a uniformly enforced policy and were in deliberate misconduct in willful disregard of the employing unit's interest.” 

Being called heroes for the 18 months we spent taking care of the Berkshire county community at BHS facilities was deserved. Losing our jobs because BHS denied us our right to God-given medical autonomy was astonishing and not deserved. 

After much prayer, we were led to attorney Jeffrey Scrimo of Lynch Scrimo Attorneys in Lenox, MA who was a local employment law lawyer well versed in discrimination cases and one who feels strongly about our cause based on the science and the logical understanding that what happened to us was wrong. He agreed to go up against Western MA’s largest health system to help us fight for truth and justice. Our encounter with him was nothing short of God’s providence. Jeff, acting as the lawyer in the parable of the good Samaritan found in Luke 10:25-37, has taken on our case on a contingency basis, which means he only got paid for his time if/when we win. Jeff spent hundreds of hours over the last 2 years meeting in person and during conference calls with us, as well as taking on the exorbitant task of pushing our individual charges of discrimination through the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination [MCAD] - an entity we had to first file with due state requirements.

We are seeking to sue for religious and medical discrimination with a trial by jury. Unfortunately, lawyer fees are only a fraction of the cost of bringing a case like this to the Superior and/or Federal Courts. Warner and Brian have picked up the torch and also have generously offered to continue to work on contingency and only the below costs will be required of us, the plaintiffs:

1. 12 Plaintiff depositions costing $1000-$1500 each (a deposition is a testimony given aloud while a court reporter (stenographer) or tape recorder (or sometimes both) records the testimony). 

2. Depositions of BHS staff supervisors and decision makers (i.e. chief medical officer) of a to-be-determined number also costing $1000-$1500 each. 

3. Expert testimony from at least 2 of the following: vaccinologists, virologists, epidemiologists, and/or medical doctors of which the cost is unknown but altogether likely to be between $25,000 to $50,000 taking into consideration their expertise, time, travel, hotel, and other accommodations needed for a 2-4 day stay to take the stand at the time of court proceedings.  

These costs will likely add up to upwards of $75,000 - $100,000. 

While we will most certainly individually contribute as much as we can and fundraise in a multitude of ways and have, we realize we also need financial assistance. 

Our lawyer team is tracking other cases and currently there is estimated to be only a handful of cases similar to ours in the U.S. that are going to the courts with discrimination suits, though we recognize this vaccine mandate has affected countless persons across the country. We hope to bring awareness and new case law when we win.

Do you mind praying for us? Do you mind taking some time to pray on whether you feel God is leading you to helping us financially?

We want to stand up for not just our religious liberty, but also to medical freedom within that religious liberty. These mandates are not founded on science, and they are especially not in line with an "undue burden" placed on the employer if we were allowed an exemption. 

Here is our chance to make a HUGE difference!

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this, and for your prayers and consideration in helping us with this injustice!! 

With Love and Thanksgiving from us all,

Colleen, Julie, Kristy, Jennifer, Brianne, Ashley, Chris, Becky, Christina, Christine, Megan, Phyllis