Suit Challenges Clinic's Refusal To Hire Nurse Who Would Not Prescribe Hormonal Birth Control

Care 2 reported yesterday on a lawsuit filed last month which it describes as "the next phase of the birth control war."  Sara Hellwege, who has just graduated nursing school, was refused an interview for a nurse-midwife position at a a women's health center that receives federal funds when she indicated that for religious reasons she would not prescribe hormonal contraceptives to women for birth control purposes.  The complaint (full text) in Hellwege v. Tampa Family Health Centers, (MD FL, filed 6/27/2014), contends that this refusal violates 42 USC 300a-7(d) which provides that no person may be required to participate in providing health services that violate the person's religious or moral beliefs. It also contends that it violates Florida statutes which are designed to protect health care workers' conscientious objections to contraception and abortion. An ADF press release reports on the case.