Court orders end to abortion-pill mandate for Ind., Calif. Christian colleges
Nearly six-year legal battle ends in victory for private college, university that wish to operate according to their beliefs
Tuesday, Jun 5, 2018
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The Obama-era mandate forces employers, regardless of their religious or moral convictions, to provide abortion-inducing drugs, sterilization, and contraception through their health plans under threat of heavy penalties. The Department of Justice, under the Trump administration, abandoned its defense of the flawed mandate, which the Department of Health and Human Services implemented during the previous administration.
“Religious organizations have the freedom to peacefully operate according to their beliefs without the threat of punishment by the government. Monday’s order fully affirms that freedom and provides permanent protection from the mandate,” said ADF Senior Counsel Gregory S. Baylor.
“These schools no longer have to fear being forced to pay fines for simply abiding by the Christian beliefs they teach and espouse, and they are no longer required to fill out forms authorizing coverage for abortion-inducing drugs,” Baylor explained. “The government has many other ways to ensure access to these drugs without forcing people of faith to violate their deepest convictions.”
ADF attorneys represent Grace College and Seminary in Indiana and Biola University in California, both of which specifically object to providing abortifacients.
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Another federal district court issued a similar order last month for four Christian universities in Oklahoma. ADF attorneys and allied attorneys continue to litigate numerous other lawsuits against the mandate.
Alliance Defending Freedom is an alliance-building, non-profit legal organization that advocates for the right of people to freely live out their faith.
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