Filed by former ESPN reporter Allison Williams and ex-producer Beth Faber, the lawsuit claims that the sports media empire and its parent company, Disney, forced them to choose between their employment and violating their religious beliefs. The two were fired in 2021 after failing to comply with the mandate.

“Forcing [the] plaintiffs to choose between continuation of their employment and a violation of their religious beliefs in order to retain their livelihoods imposes a substantial burden on plaintiffs’ ability to conduct themselves in accordance with their sincerely held religious beliefs,” the pair’s attorney, Christopher Dunn, wrote in the complaint.

The two were fired in 2021 after failing to comply with the mandate. In an October 2021 Instagram post, Williams said that she could not violate her values and morals to accommodate her employer’s demands.

“I have been denied my request for accommodation by ESPN and The Walt Disney Company, and effective next week, I will be separated from the company,” she said. “I’m so morally and ethically not aligned with this. I’ve had to really dig deep and analyze my values and my morals. Ultimately, I need to put them first. The irony in all this are the same values and principles I hold so dear are what made me a really good employee and probably what helped with the success I’ve been able to have in my career.”