A Michigan physician is suing Grand Rapids and Southfield, Mich.-based health system Corewell Health for alleged religious discrimination, according to a March 27 news report from ABC affiliate WXYZ WXYZ.
Samer Ilayan, MD, alleges in the lawsuit that Corewell's Beaumont Athens Clinic in Taylor, Mich., wrongfully terminated him after denying his requests for five-minute daily breaks for prayer and time on Fridays to attend weekly prayers.
Dr. Ilayan was placed on a performance improvement plan for missing patient appointments before his employment was terminated, but the reason for his firing was not included in the termination letter, the report said.
A spokesperson for Corewell Health sent a statement on the lawsuit to WXYZ, saying, "The allegations in Dr. Ilayan's lawsuit are false. During Dr. Ilayan's employment, he requested and received religious accommodation for time in his schedule dedicated to prayer. We are committed to providing reasonable workplace accommodations whenever possible for religious beliefs and practices."