ACLU Sues Catholic Bishops For Negligence Over Hospital Guidelines That Bar Abortions In All Situations

The ACLU announced yesterday that it has filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S.Conference of Catholic Bishops and the chair and former chair of Catholic Health Ministries on behalf of a woman who was not informed by a Catholic hospital in Muskegon, Michigan of the option to terminate her pregnancy when her water broke after 18 weeks of pregnancy. The complaint (full text) in Means v. U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, (ED MI, filed 11/29/2013), alleges negligence "for promulgating and implementing directives that cause pregnant women who are suffering from a miscarriage to be denied appropriate medical care, including information about their condition and treatment options."  The suit, which does not name the Michigan hospital itself a a defendant, was brought in federal court on diversity of citizenship grounds.  It complains that the USCCB's Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services, which provide that abortion is never permitted, are required to be applied even when doing so places a woman's health or life at risk. The New York Times reports on the case. [Thanks to Scott Mange for the lead.]