A federal judge in Chicago is allowing a United Airline employee's religious accommodation claim regarding a COVID-19 vaccine mandate to narrowly proceed to discovery as to whether the suit was timely filed within 90 days of receiving a right-to-sue letter.

In a Wednesday opinion, U.S. District Judge Lindsay C. Jenkins for the Northern District of Illinois denied the motion to dismiss pro se plaintiff Antonio McCladdie El's Title VII claims for religious discrimination and retaliation. The court concluded brief discovery was necessary to determine when McCladdie El received the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's right-to-sue letter and whether his suit was filed within 90 days of receiving the letter.