⚖ Oral Arguments, with Context

The Seventh Circuit hears Flores versus Cook County. Flores worked as a pharmacy technician at a county hospital. Her duties included handing prescriptions to patients and delivering medicines, including to a floor treating COVID-19 patients. She sought a religious exemption from the hospital's vaccination requirement so she could continue working in person. The County denied her request and later fired her. She sued, claiming the County should have accommodated her religious objection. The district court ruled for the County without a trial, finding that allowing her to work unvaccinated would create an undue hardship for patient safety and hospital operations. Flores will contend that the County did not prove it could not reasonably accommodate her. The County will defend the ruling, pointing to risks for patients and staff. A recent decision called Mason involved a pharmacist at the same hospital under the same vaccination policy. The argument begins with whether Flores's different duties justify a different result.

Jetaime Flores v. Cook County (No. 26-1088) — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, argued October 6, 2026.