A federal judge in North Dakota has ruled that over 9,000 Catholic employers are not required to comply with federal regulations that protect workers seeking abortions and fertility treatments. The decision follows a lawsuit filed by the Catholic Benefits Association and the Bismarck Diocese against the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), claiming the regulations infringed on their religious rights.
U.S. District Judge Daniel Traynor initially issued a preliminary injunction last year to halt the enforcement of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and related guidelines on harassment protections, which include gender identity as a form of sex-based discrimination. This week, Judge Traynor made this block permanent, concluding that the association and diocese successfully demonstrated the Act violated federal laws safeguarding religious freedom. He noted that the facts and evidence of the case had remained unchanged since the initial injunction.
The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, effective as of 2023, mandates that employers provide reasonable accommodations for pregnancy or childbirth-related needs. In 2024, the EEOC issued rules to implement the Act along with harassment enforcement guidelines. The Catholic Benefits Association and the Bismarck Diocese argued that these regulations forced them to go against their beliefs by requiring them to support abortions and fertility treatments, use pronouns requested by transitioning employees, and allow access to private spaces based on gender identity, contrary to Catholic teachings.
The EEOC requested that the judge deny a permanent injunction, asserting that the claims made by the association and diocese were unsubstantiated. However, Attorney Martin Nussbaum, representing the Catholic organizations, expressed gratitude to the judiciary for upholding religious freedom rights, highlighting concerns over federal and state mandates he perceives as conflicting with Catholic values.
The Catholic Benefits Association represents over 9,000 Catholic employers and has approximately 164,000 employees enrolled in its health plans. The EEOC has been contacted for comment.
The Societal Shift
This ruling underscores a significant tension between religious freedom and federal mandates, especially concerning employment practices and worker protections. For Catholic organizations, the decision could reinforce the autonomy to operate in alignment with their faith-based principles without fear of federal intervention. However, this may lead to broader discussions about the balance between religious rights and worker protection laws.
For employees within these organizations, the decision could affect access to reproductive health services and influence workplace dynamics about gender identity and expression. It raises questions about how religious-based exemptions can impact employee rights and accommodations. As this legal landscape evolves, it may prompt further scrutiny and legislative action regarding the intersection of religious freedom and employee rights in the United States.
