California Federal Judge Says Same-Sex Spouse of Court Employee Entitled To Health Insurance Coverage

On Tuesday in San Francisco (CA), federal district judge James Ware, acting as administrator of the federal district court's employee dispute resolution program, ruled that denying law clerk Christopher Nathan the right to enroll his same-sex spouse in the government's health insurance program violates the court's guarantee of a discrimination-free workplace. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Ware ordered reimbursement of Nathan for the cost of past and future private insurance for his spouse. The court's clerk, Richard Wieking, says that Ware's order is in conflict with a directive of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts requiring compliance with the Defense of Marriage Act.