Previously speaking to the author using the pseudonym Corey Maverick, Air Force Col. Katheryn Ellis is going public with an update to her story. Emphasizing that her views do not reflect those of the Department of Defense or Department of the Air Force, Col. Ellis spoke to The Gateway Pundit about “a win” for Christian service members who opposed the once-mandated COVID-19 injection on the grounds of religion.
On October 21, 2021, Col. Ellis said she was “unlawfully relieved of command” of the 14th Medical Group at Columbus Air Force Base by Col. Seth W. Graham. In documentation reviewed by the author, the Air Force Review Boards Agency has essentially found that Col. Graham is guilty of religious discrimination as it relates to his removal of Col Ellis.
According to the order that was issued on behalf of the Secretary of the Air Force:
“…we have determined that a preponderance of the evidence establishes that Appellant was discriminated against based on her sincerely held belief when she was denied a religious accommodation from performing COVID-19 related duties. We find that Col Graham took adverse action motivated by a desire to avoid accommodating a religious belief, observance, or practice that he knew or suspected the Appellant needed and would not pose an undue hardship.”
Col. Ellis explained that the Department of the Air Force released the results of her Equal Opportunity (EO) complaints, determining that Col. Graham wrongfully and unlawfully terminated her from command solely because of her religious beliefs and religious accommodation request concerning the now-rescinded shot mandate.
The news began to circulate quickly online with an initial post by retired Army warrant officer and advocate for service members, Sam Shoemate on X:
Air Force Colonel Katheryn Ellis, who claimed she was discriminated against for her religious beliefs when she was relieved of command in 2021 for refusing to order her subordinates to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, was just vindicated when the Director of Air Force Review Boards… pic.twitter.com/iqwoMbdpK2
— Shoe (@samosaur) September 5, 2024
Col Ellis’ case speaks volumes to the discrimination and persecution of religious personnel who are serving and who have served in the US military. Holding back tears of joy, she said she is “blessed” to receive complete expungement of her record to document she was unlawfully relieved of command. She will also be reimbursed all attorney fees associated with her case.
In November, after more than 20 years of honorable service, Col. Ellis will be medically retired from the Air Force for reasons unrelated to the shot mandate. It is her desire for Christian service members and veterans to “hold true to their beliefs and put their trust and faith in God.” She encourages them to “never stop fighting because God will come through.”
The Gateway Pundit also spoke to attorney R. Davis Younts, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel and former Judge Advocate General (JAG) officer who has represented Col. Ellis since 2021. In the past three years, Col. Ellis has pursued multiple avenues of formal complaints. For Younts, “It’s a huge win for us to finally get somebody to listen.” Although her case went to appeal, he said, “the system has finally recognized that Christians were discriminated against during the COVID pandemic.”
“Col. Ellis was subjected to unfair and disparate treatment because of her faith, and I hope this decision sets a precedent, sending the warning out that we don’t suspend the Constitution because of a mandate,” Younts said. “Christians still have protections, and this gives me some hope that the system can do the right thing to ensure their Constitutional rights can be protected.”
