Remote worker fired for refusing COVID vax receives $200k settlement after feds investigate: lawyers

Arrow Electronics refused her request for a religious accommodation, claiming she lacked "religiosity," at which point the feds got involved, her lawyers say.

By Greg Piper

Published: September 25, 2026 2:33pm

A remote worker fired for refusing COVID-19 vaccination on religious grounds has received a $200,000 settlement after the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission brought a charge against her employer, her lawyers at the First Liberty Institute said.

A "devout Catholic" who worked from home for Arrow Electronics, Maria Govea sought a religious accommodation from the company's vacccine mandate yet it rejected her request for lack of "religiosity," according to First Liberty. She filed an EEOC complaint and the agency investigated, prompting a settlement.

“As people of faith confront a hostile corporate culture, it’s perhaps more important than ever to understand what the law says about religious discrimination and accommodation,” said senior counsel Cliff Martin.

First Liberty didn't immediately answer a request to see the settlement.