Flint Hills Technical College and the director of its nursing program face a lawsuit related to COVID-19 mitigation policies.
Molly Ellis, an Emporia citizen and a nursing student at the college, has sued both the college and Nursing Director Kim McNeese, saying she has “sincere religious beliefs that compels her to refuse to consent to the vaccine injection requirements” of both the defendants and their contract partners.
The lawsuit, filed earlier this month, says Ellis has not consented to being vaccinated because of concerns about the use of fetal cells. She alleges the Technical College student handbook does not discriminate on the basis of sex and forbids harassment of students because of religion, but an amendment to the handbook last month required all nursing students to get vaccinated or face not fulfilling their coursework requirements. The lawsuit also says the college offers no recognition of religious beliefs in the nursing department and provides no religious accommodation in the amended handbook — and, according to the lawsuit, college contracts with Holiday Resort, Presbyterian Manor and Newman Regional Health led to no guarantees they would not discriminate against nursing students based on religion. Only Stormont-Vail agreed not to discriminate. Neither Holiday Resort, Presbyterian Manor or Newman Regional Health are named as defendants in this case.
A financial amount has not been disclosed. The lawsuit is seeking unspecified “injunctive and declaratory relief.”
College President Caron Daugherty says the college has filed responsive pleadings but declined further comment until the matter is resolved in court.
A hearing Tuesday is set for 1:15 pm before Judge Lee Fowler.
