Plaintiffs' Exemption Process Questionnaire (Exhibit B) — Lancione v. Mass General Brigham

Summary

This is Exhibit B, Document 71-2 in Case 1:21-cv-11686-FDS in the District of Massachusetts: Plaintiffs' Exemption Process Questionnaire for Defendant Mass General Brigham Incorporated, in Lancione v. Mass General Brigham. It states that Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 33 and 34 apply and that answers are under oath. The questions ask about who reviewed religious and medical exemption requests to the COVID-19 vaccine policy, the reviewers' qualifications, the criteria used, and the number of approvals and denials. Later questions cover reviewers' social media accounts, internal correspondence, and hours spent reviewing applications. The signature block names Ryan P. McLane as plaintiffs' attorney.

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Full text

Exhibit B
Exhibit B
Case 1:21-cv-11686-FDS   Document 71-2   Filed 03/11/22   Page 1 of 11

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS

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ROBERTA LANCIONE, et al

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)
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Plaintiffs

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v.

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DOCKET NO.   1:21-cv-11686

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MASS GENERAL BRIGHAM

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INCORPORATED

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Defendant

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PLAINTIFFS’ EXEMPTION PROCESS QUESTIONNAIRE FOR
DEFENDANT, MASS GENERAL BRIGHAM INCORPORATED
The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, including Fed. R. Civ. P. 33 and 34 and
the corresponding Local Rules, apply with full force to this Questionnaire.
Answers and production to the questions within are under oath and must
answers to every question must be provided that are true and correct to the
best of your knowledge.  If needed, please attach additional sheets so that all
answers are complete, indicating the question number to which the
additional information is responsive.  You must supplement your responses if
you learn they are incomplete or incorrect, or if new information becomes
available.
MGB’S COVID-19 VACCINE POLICY EXEMPTION AND
ACCOMMODATION QUESTIONS

1. Please describe the selection process that was used to determine who
would participate in reviewing religious and/or medical exemption
Case 1:21-cv-11686-FDS   Document 71-2   Filed 03/11/22   Page 2 of 11

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requests, including who had authority to appoint reviewers and
committee members and include the organizational structure of each
committee.
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2. Please identify any individuals who participated in any fashion with
the review of religious exemption requests, stating that individual’s:
a. Name
b. Date of birth
c. Job Title and/or position
d. Date that they started working at Mass General
e. Specific qualifications to determine the sincerity of religious
beliefs
f.
Specific qualifications to determine whether affording a religious
accommodation would be an undue hardship for defendant

3. Please identify any individuals who participated in any fashion with
the review of medical exemption requests, stating that individual’s:
a. Name
b. Date of birth
c. Job Title and/or position
d. Date that they started working at Mass General
e. Specific qualifications to determine whether an individual has a
disability
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f.
Specific qualifications to determine whether affording a medical
accommodation would be an undue hardship for defendant

4. Please identify any specific criteria, guidelines or rules (including any
standard responses to emails) that were provided to individuals who
participated in the review of medical and/or religious exemptions and
provide responsive documents showing said criteria being
communicated with the individuals involved in the review processes.
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5. Please identify any training, guidance or procedures that were
implemented in reviewing religious and medical exemptions to the
COVID-19 vaccine policy that were not part of previous religious and
medical exemption reviews.
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Case 1:21-cv-11686-FDS   Document 71-2   Filed 03/11/22   Page 4 of 11

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________________________________________________________________________
6. Please identify who had authority to approve or deny a religious and/or
medical exemption, and for those individuals please provide the
number of approvals and number of denials by type (religious and
medical).
7. Please provide the basis for and guidelines for review as to how the
committee members/reviewers determined that a “religion publicly
supports” vaccination, and how these guidelines were applied to
individual applications.

8. Medical Exemption Reviewers: for each individual who
participated in the review and/or decision-making with respect to
plaintiff’s medical exemptions/accommodations, please provide:
a. Names of plaintiffs whose medical exemptions they reviewed
b. Names of individuals who were granted an exemption by said
reviewer
c. Whether the determination was made individually and/or as a
group or “committee”
d. The email address used to communicate with other individuals
involved in the review of medical exemptions
e. Communications to the plaintiffs sent by said individual,
whether using a committee email or his/her own
f.
Communications between said individual and any other
individuals involved in the review of medical exemptions.

9. Medical Exemptions/Accommodations: Please list the conditions
that resulted in medical exemptions and/or accommodations to the
COVID-19 vaccine policy provided by defendant.
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________________________________________________________________________
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10.Religious Exemption Reviewers: for each individual who
participated in the review and/or decision-making with respect to
plaintiff’s religious exemptions/accommodations, please provide:
a. Names of plaintiffs whose religious exemptions they reviewed
b. Names of individuals who were granted an exemption by said
reviewer
c. Whether the determination was made individually and/or as a
group or “committee”
d. The email address used to communicate with other individuals
involved in the review of religious exemptions
e. Communications to the plaintiffs sent by said individual,
whether using a committee email or his/her own
f.
Communications between said individual and any other
individuals involved in the review of religious exemptions.

11.Religious Exemptions/Accommodations: Please list the religious
beliefs and/or practices that resulted in religious exemptions and/or
accommodations to the COVID-19 vaccine policy provided by
defendant.
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________________________________________________________________________
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12.Please list the names and job titles of each individual who has received
an “exemption” or accommodation to your COVID-19 vaccine policy,
and include:
a. Job title
b. Status (contractor and/or employee)
c. Date they started at Mass General
d. Whether the exemption was for the COVID vaccine, booster or
both
e. Accommodation provided
f.
Whether the individual requested the accommodation provided
or whether it was directed by MGB
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Case 1:21-cv-11686-FDS   Document 71-2   Filed 03/11/22   Page 7 of 11

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13.Outside Information: Please state what outside information was
relied upon by individuals who reviewed medical and/or religious
exemptions, such as outside research into religious beliefs, outside
communications regarding plaintiffs who applied for exemptions, etc.,
and provide supporting documents.
14.Social Media: For any individual who participated in either 1) the
decision to implement the COVID-19 vaccine policy, or 2) the review of
any religious and/or medical exemptions or accommodations, identify
any social media accounts (e.g. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter,
YouTube, WhatsApp, TikTok, Linkedin) or online forums (including
but not limited to the comments sections of online publications,
websites or social media posts) on which they have discussed COVID-
19 vaccines or vaccine mandates or religious and/or medical objections
to the same.

Name of Social Media
Platform Or Online
Forum
User Name
Date Began Using

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15.For any of the social media accounts or online forums listed above, identify in
the space below any statuses, posts, comments, messages, or any other
communications you have made in support of COVID-19 vaccines or vaccine
mandates and/or religious or medical objections to said vaccines and/or
mandates by stating: (i) the name of the social media platform or online
forum, (ii) the date, and (iii) the substance of the status, post, comment,
message, or communication.  Please provide any copies of the
communications you identify in your answer.
Note: to provide copies of any communications identified, you may use
“screenshots.” Any screenshots of communications should include enough of
the status, post, comment, message, or other communication to show the
context. For example, a screen shot of a comment should include the content
to which the comment responded or related. Any screenshots should be
marked with the date and time on which the screenshot was taken. If you
provide screenshots in response to this question, you still have a duty to
preserve any and all electronically-stored versions of the communications and
you may be later asked to provide further information or documents about
the communications.
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16.Internal Correspondence: Please describe how each committee and
reviewers individually communicated about plaintiffs, including the
method of communication and/or meeting and include any notes taken
Case 1:21-cv-11686-FDS   Document 71-2   Filed 03/11/22   Page 9 of 11

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by reviewers and any recorded remote meeting files.

Name
Method of
Communication
Notes/Recording?

17.Identify and provide any correspondence from defendant to plaintiffs’
supervisory and management personnel regarding the exemption
process and accommodations to the COVID-19 vaccine policy.
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18.Identify and provide all correspondence containing guidance to
exemption committee members and reviewers regarding an interactive
process with respect to exemptions and/or accommodations for the
COVID-19 vaccine policy.
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19.State approximately how many hours each committee
member/reviewer spent reviewing exemption applications, supporting
documents and communicating with applicants for exemptions to the
COVID-19 vaccine policy.
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Plaintiffs, by their attorney,

   /s/ Ryan P. McLane

Ryan P. McLane, Esq. (BBO: 697464)

McLane & McLane, LLC

269 South Westfield Street

Feeding Hills, MA 01030

Ph. (413) 789-7771

Fax (413) 789-7731

E-mail: ryan@mclanelaw.com

Case 1:21-cv-11686-FDS   Document 71-2   Filed 03/11/22   Page 11 of 11

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