Kelly Carijen, a former high-earning employee of clinical research firm Parexel International, has filed a lawsuit in Massachusetts state court alleging that the company’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate violated her rights to informed consent and breached her employment contract. The complaint, filed Friday in Middlesex County Superior Court, seeks at least $1 million in damages from Parexel, its vaccine compliance partner Sterling Check, and Sterling’s new owner, First Advantage Corp..
Claims Against Vaccine Mandate
Carijen, who worked for Parexel until December 2021, contends that the vaccine requirement imposed in November 2021 constituted an unnegotiated change to her employment terms. She alleges that the mandate forced employees to take what she describes as an “experimental medical treatment” without the option of informed consent.
The complaint further accuses Parexel of overstepping by allegedly “practicing medicine” and making medical decisions for employees without proper authority or disclosing sufficient information about vaccine risks and benefits.
Conflict of Interest Allegations
Carijen also alleges a conflict of interest in Parexel’s decision, pointing to the company’s involvement in managing clinical trials for Pfizer Inc., one of the manufacturers of FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccines. She claims Parexel acted in bad faith by imposing the vaccine requirement and retaliated against employees who refused to comply.
