In a compelling legal battle, a former employee is challenging a major healthcare provider over allegations of religious discrimination related to COVID-19 vaccine mandates. Alvin Gali, a dedicated cardiac telemetry nurse for 11 years, filed a lawsuit against Kaiser Foundation Hospitals, Inc. in the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara on November 12, 2025. The case accuses Kaiser of unfairly denying his request for religious accommodation regarding their COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
Alvin Gali’s complaint centers around his dismissal from Kaiser Foundation Hospitals after he refused the COVID-19 vaccine on religious grounds. As a committed Seventh-day Adventist Christian, Gali believes that his body is a temple of the Holy Spirit and must be treated with utmost care and respect. He cited biblical scriptures such as 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 and writings from Ellen G. White to support his stance against vaccination. Despite submitting a detailed religious accommodation request in September 2021, Kaiser’s decision-makers deemed his objection insincere without engaging in any personal dialogue with him. Notably, Gali’s wife submitted an almost identical request which was approved by Kaiser, highlighting what he describes as arbitrary and capricious decision-making by the hospital.
The lawsuit claims that Kaiser’s actions violated several provisions of the California Government Code § 12940, which prohibits employment discrimination based on religion. It argues that Kaiser’s process for evaluating religious accommodation requests was designed more to deny than to grant them. Furthermore, it alleges retaliation against Gali for seeking an exemption based on his faith—a right protected under state law—by placing him on unpaid leave and eventually terminating his employment in December 2021.
Gali seeks various forms of relief from the court including compensatory damages for lost wages and emotional distress, punitive damages to deter future misconduct by Kaiser, and injunctive relief such as reinstatement and mandatory training for Kaiser’s management on accommodating religious beliefs. The lawsuit underscores the need for employers to engage sincerely with employees’ religious convictions rather than dismissing them through impersonal processes.
Representing Alvin Gali are attorneys Alan J. Reinach, Jonathon S. Cherne, and Patrick A. Dillon from Church State Council located in Westlake Village, CA. The case is presided over by Judge L. Ayala under Case No.: 29CV479936.
Source: 25CV479936_Alvin_Gali_v_Kaiser_Foundation_Complaint_County_of_Santa_Clara_California.pdf
