A recent legal battle has emerged as a former employee challenges a major city’s transit authority over alleged religious discrimination. Michael Gerard Carmody filed a complaint against the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on November 25, 2025. The lawsuit accuses the CTA of violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act by failing to accommodate Carmody’s religious beliefs regarding COVID-19 vaccination requirements.
The case centers around Carmody, a practicing Catholic and long-time employee of the CTA since January 1990. On September 3, 2021, the CTA announced that all employees were required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Despite claiming adherence to federal and state laws forbidding discrimination and offering reasonable accommodations, Carmody alleges that his request for a religious exemption was unjustly denied. According to court documents, he sought an exemption based on his belief that receiving the vaccine would violate his religious convictions due to its association with aborted fetal cell lines.
Carmody argues that his termination on August 1, 2022, after refusing vaccination, constitutes unlawful employment practices. He asserts that his sincerely held religious beliefs preclude him from taking any COVID-19 vaccines available at the time because they were connected to aborted fetal cells. Despite providing evidence of these beliefs and requesting accommodations from the CTA, Carmody claims he was met with discrimination and ultimately lost his job.
The lawsuit further contends that other employees received similar exemptions without issue, highlighting what Carmody perceives as disparate treatment under Title VII. His legal team argues that granting such an accommodation would not have imposed an undue burden on the CTA. In addition to Title VII violations, Carmody also accuses the CTA of infringing upon his rights under the Illinois Religious Freedom Restoration Act and First Amendment protections.
Carmody seeks various forms of relief from the court including compensatory damages for emotional distress and loss of employment opportunities. He is also pursuing attorney’s fees and costs associated with bringing forth this legal action. Furthermore, he requests injunctive or declaratory relief as deemed appropriate by the court.
Representing Michael Gerard Carmody is attorney Frank Avila from Chicago-based law firm Avila Law Group LLC. The case has been assigned Case ID: 1:25-cv-14450 in front of judges yet to be named.
Source: 125cv14450_Michael_Gerard_v_Chicago_Transit_Complaint_Northern_District_of_Illinois.pdf
