Suit Challenges Illinois Requirements for Insurance Policies to Cover Abortions

Suit was filed yesterday in an Illinois federal district court challenging on both constitutional and federal statutory grounds Illinois statutes that requires health-insurance policies to cover elective abortions on the same terms as other pregnancy-related benefits and to cover, without co-pays, abortion inducing drugs. The complaint (full text) in Students for Life of America v. Gillespie, (ND IL, filed 11/20/2024), alleges that these provisions violate free exercise rights, the right of expressive association, the federal Comstock Act, the Coates-Snow Amendment and the Weldon Amendment. Thomas More Society issued a press release announcing the filing of the lawsuit.

Illinois Governor Signs 3 Bills Protecting Abortion Rights

On Aug. 7, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed HB4867 (full text) which amends the Illinois Human Rights Act to make discrimination on the basis of reproductive health decisions, including decisions relating to termination of a pregnancy, unlawful discrimination. He also signed HB 5239 (full text) that prohibits the state from assisting out-of-state officials or individuals who are seeking to impose civil or criminal liability on a person or entity for reproductive health care activity that was lawful in Illinois. And he signed HB 581 (full text) which requires hospital emergency rooms to provide stabilizing treatment including abortion when "abortion is necessary to resolve the patient's injury or acute medical condition that is liable to cause death or severe injury or serious illness." Lawndale News reports on the governor's action.

Satanic Temple Can Move Ahead with Establishment Clause Challenge to Its Treatment by City Council

In The Satanic Temple v. The City of Chicago, (ND IL, March 31, 2024), an Illinois federal district court held that The Satanic Temple ("TST") had alleged enough to move ahead on its claim that the city had violated the Establishment Clause by constantly delaying for over three years a request by a TST clergyman to deliver an invocation at a Chicago City Council meeting.  The court said in part:

The Establishment Clause requires that the City treat Vavrick the same as it would any other clergy member from any other religion. Assuming, therefore, that the City has not scheduled Vavrick to give an invocation because of his religious beliefs, such practice violates the Establishment Clause.

The court however dismissed plaintiffs' free speech claim finding that plaintiffs had not plausibly alleged that City Council invocations are anything other than government speech. It also refused to grant a preliminary injunction.

Art Institute School Sued for Antisemitic Discrimination and Hostility

Three weeks ago, suit was filed in an Illinois federal district court against the School of the Art Institute of Chicago by a Jewish Israeli student claiming a long-running pattern of discrimination and hostility at the school toward Jews and Israelis. The complaint (full text) in Canel v. School of the Art Institute of Chicago, (ND IL, filed 12/22/2-23), alleges discrimination against plaintiff in the admissions process and increasing harassment by faculty and students since the October 7 Hamas terror attack on Israel. Also named as a defendant was one Art Therapy faculty member who has taken a leading role in facilitating anti-Israel actions aimed at plaintiff. The complaint alleges violation of Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act the Illinois Human Rights Act and the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act, as well as breach of contract and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Jewish News Service reports on the lawsuit.

City Could Not Require Pastor's Certificate as Condition of Vaccine Exemtpion

In Carrero v. City of Chicago, (ND IL, Jan. 2, 2024), an Illinois federal district court allowed a Chicago city employee who has been placed on unpaid leave for refusing to comply with the city's Covid vaccine mandate to move ahead with several claims.  The employee was denied a religious exemption from the vaccine mandate because he did not furnish a signed affirmation of belief from his pastor who had a policy of not signing such forms for his 15,000 mega-church members. Allowing plaintiff to move ahead with his 1st Amendment Free Exercise claim, the court said in part:

... At this point of the proceedings, it is reasonable to infer that the City denied Carrero’s application because his religious leader did not confirm the validity of his belief....

Carrero’s beliefs may not be sincerely held or religious in nature. The City is free to challenge those points in the exemption process and in this case....

But the City may not single out religious beliefs merely because they do not conform to the tenets of a religion as interpreted by a spiritual leader. Because that is what Carrero alleges the City’s Policy did to him, he has sufficiently pled that the Policy’s exemption language is not neutral as applied to him....

The court also allowed plaintiff to move ahead with claims under the Illinois Religious Freedom Restoration Act, the Illinois Human Rights Act and Illinois' Civil Rights Act.

School Board Not Liable for Teacher's Proselytization of Muslim Student

In Chaudhry v. Community Unit School District 300 Board of Education, (ND IL, Dec. 29, 2023), an Illinois federal district court dismissed Establishment Clause, Due Process and Equal Protection claims by Muslim parents against an Illinois school board that employed teacher Pierre Thorsen who convinced their daughter to convert to Christianity.  The court said in part:

[T]he complaint continues to state an implausible theory of Monell liability because it does not plead enough factual matter to raise the inference that any assertedly unconstitutional practice had become so widespread that the Board was bound to have noticed it. It likewise continues to fail to plausibly allege that anyone other than Thorsen was the moving force behind any of the Parents’ asserted injuries.... At best, the Parents have alleged facts consistent only with the “isolated wrongdoing of one . . . rogue employee[].”... Because Monell does not allow for respondeat superior liability, these claims are not plausibly pleaded, and they therefore fail.

No Damages Under Illinois RFRA for Wedding Cancelled Over Covid Vaccine Mandate

In Schneider v. City of Chicago, (ND IL, Nov. 20, 2023), an Illinois federal district court dismissed a damage action brought under the Illinois Religious Freedom Restoration Act by a couple who cancelled their wedding at the Drake Hotel, losing their deposit, when the city of Chicago required proof of COVID vaccination for gatherings in large areas such as hotels and banquet halls. The couple had religious objections to receiving vaccines. The court held that because the city's Health Order included a religious exemption, plaintiffs had not alleged that the Order substantially burdened their religious practice or beliefs.  The couple contended that there was no ascertainable way for them to obtain a religious exemption from the city. The court responded:

[P]laintiffs point to nothing in their complaint or the health order itself to support a reasonable inference that the City of Chicago would not provide a religious exemption or that religious exemptions were impossible to receive. Their notion of impossibility amounts to an unreasonable interpretation of the Order—that the absence of more specific directions on how to obtain an exemption meant that no exemption was obtainable....

[A]fter two calls to the Corporation Counsel went unanswered, the plaintiffs summarily concluded that obtaining a religious exemption in time for their February 2022 wedding was “impossible.”... [T]his conclusion is not entitled to the assumption of truth....

Even if plaintiffs had been able to state a claim for violation of the Illinois Religious Freedom Restoration Act, their complaint only requests money damages and those damages are prohibited by the Illinois Tort Immunity Act.... . It is likely that the Illinois Supreme Court would hold that the ITIA protects local governments from damages claims under IRFRA.

RFRA and Title VII Claims for Refusing Religious Exemption from Covid Vaccine Mandate Can Proceed

In Snyder v. Chicago Transit Authority, (ND IL,  Nov. 6, 2023), an Illinois federal district court allowed plaintiff, who was denied a religious exemption from his former employer's Covid vaccine mandate, to move ahead with his claims under Title VII and under the Illinois Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The court however dismissed seven other claims brought under a number of other statutory and regulatory provisions.

Illinois Regulation of Limited Purpose Pregnancy Centers Violates 1st Amendment

In National Institute of Family and Life Advocates v. Raoul, (ND IL, Aug. 4, 2023), an Illinois federal district court issued a preliminary injunction against enforcement of Illinois SB 1909 which amends the state Consumer Fraud Act to prohibit limited purpose pregnancy centers from using misrepresentations or concealment to interfere with a person's access to abortion or emergency contraception. the court said in part:

SB 1909 is content based discrimination. The subject of the prohibited speech is not just abortion but speech that emphasizes the negative effects of abortion. What's more, there is ample evidence in the record before the Court at this time that SB 1909 was adopted because of Defendant Raoul's disagreement about the content of Plaintiffs' speech. The message of Plaintiffs' speech is subject to prohibition under SB 1909 but abortion providers' speech is specifically excluded from being sanctioned under the Consumer Fraud Act.

Suit Challenges Illinois Deceptive Practices Law Aimed At Anti-Abortion Pregnancy Centers

Suit was filed last week in an Illinois federal district court challenging Illinois SB 1909 which prohibits limited purpose pregnancy centers from using misrepresentations or concealment to interfere with a person's access to abortion or emergency contraception. The 55-page complaint (full text) in National Institute of Family & Life Advocates v. Raoul, (ND IL, filed 7/27/2023), attacks the legislation on free expression, free exercise, and various 14th Amendment grounds. The complaint alleges in part:

... [S]peaking common pro-life views as part of a pregnancy help ministry, or failing to speak the State’s pro-abortion views on hotly disputed issues, is illegal under state law, on pain of crippling fines, injunctions,  and attorney fees. Meanwhile, abortion facilities (as well as expressly exempted licensed healthcare providers and hospitals) remain free to engage in their own controversial speech about abortion, as they wish.

Thomas More Society issued a press release announcing the filing of the lawsuit. 

Monell Claims Opposing Transcendental Meditation Program in Chicago Schools Move Ahead

In Hudgins v. Board of Education of the City of Chicago, (ND IL, June 30, 2023), two former high school students and the mother of one of the students sued claiming that a Quiet Time transcendental meditation program in the Chicago public schools violated the Free Exercise and Establishment Clauses as well as the Illinois Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Plaintiffs claim that the program contained hidden Hindu religious elements. A number of plaintiffs' claims were dismissed, primarily on statute-of-limitations grounds. However, the court allowed plaintiffs to move ahead with their Section 1983 Monell claims for damages against the Chicago Board of Education and the David Lynch Foundation which operated the program under contract in the schools.

Illinois AG Releases Report on Catholic Clergy Child Sex Abuse

Yesterday, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul released its 696-page Report on Catholic Clergy Child Sex Abuse in Illinois (full text). The Report stems from an investigation thar began in 2018. The Attorney General's message that begins the report says in part:

As a direct result of this investigation and my team’s persistence, the dioceses have improved their policies relating to their investigations of child sex abuse allegations and the public disclosure of substantiated child sex abusers. Before this investigation, the Catholic dioceses of Illinois publicly listed only 103 substantiated child sex abusers. By comparison, this report reveals names and detailed information of 451Catholic clerics and religious brothers who abused at least 1,997 children across all of the dioceses in Illinois.

The Report concludes with a series of recommendations. It points out that in 2014, Illinois eliminated the statute of limitations for civil claims of child sex abuse. However, that law does not permit filling of claims for which the statute of limitations had run before 2014, and the Illinois Supreme Court has held that creating a look-back window for such claims would require an amendment to the state constitution. The Report suggests that Dioceses establish independent mediation and compensation programs that would cover these claims. AP discusses reactions to the AG's Report.

Establishment Clause Challenge to Transcendental Meditation Program in High School Moves Ahead

In Williams v. Board of Education of the City of Chicago, (ND IL, May 16, 2023), an Illinois federal district court refused to grant summary judgment to either side on an Establishment Clause challenge to a high school's elective instruction in Transcendental Meditation brought by former student Amonte Williams.  The court said in part:

[T]here is evidence that a Transcendental Meditation instructor separated Williams from his classmates and brought him individually to a different classroom for the initiation. A reasonable jury could find that Williams, having arguably signed up to be trained in Transcendental Meditation, was then required to observe a religious ceremony in order to learn meditation and was misled about the ceremony's religious nature. The scenario as presented by Williams differs from the school prayer cases ... because there was no imposition or mention of any specific beliefs by the defendants. But the initiation ceremony distinguishes this situation from those cases involving the simple practice of Yoga in schools.... The evidence in this record— most notably the details of the initiation ceremony—suggest that a reasonable jury could find that the Transcendental Meditation training as implemented was religious in nature or at least included a required religious ceremony....

... A reasonable jury could find that Williams felt pressured to support the purportedly religious aspects of Transcendental Meditation during the initiation ceremony, when he saw various items placed around a picture of a teacher of Transcendental Meditation while the instructor spoke in a language he did not understand. It is less clear whether Williams would have felt pressured to support the instructor-led meditation in the classrooms.... [T]he Court denies the defendants' motion for summary judgment.... To the extent that Williams intended to move for summary judgment on his Establishment Clause claim ...,  the Court denies the motion. The reason is that a reasonable jury could find that there was no "captive audience," that the initiation ceremony was not religious in nature, or that Williams did not feel pressured to support any religious aspects of the program.

7th Circuit: Plaintiffs Failed To Show Facts Supporting Free Exercise Objections To COVID Vaccine Mandate

In Lukaszczyk v. Cook County, (7th Cir., Aug. 29, 2022), the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, ruling on three separate district court cases, refused to order preliminary injunctions against local and state COVID vaccine mandates.  The court said in part:

The plaintiffs argue the mandates violate their constitutional rights to substantive due process, procedural due process, and the free exercise of religion. They also contend the mandates violate Illinois state law. Although the plaintiffs could have presented some forceful legal arguments, they have failed to develop factual records to support their claims. Because the plaintiffs have not shown a likelihood of success on the merits, we affirm the decisions of the district judges....

Discussing plaintiffs' Free Exercise claims, the court said in part: 

[I]f these assertions have merit, there is no record evidence to support them. The plaintiffs should have gathered facts and created a record detailing any wrongful denials of requests for religious exemptions. Instead, they made a facial challenge, which ignored the text of the policy’s religious exemption and the status of the plaintiffs’ exemption requests. This does not show a violation of their right to freely exercise their religions.

Class Action Settlement Reached In Religious Challenge To Vaccine Mandate

 A 24-page class action Settlement Agreement (full text) was filed last week in an Illinois federal district court in Doe 1 v. NorthShore University HealthSystem, (ND IL, filed 7/292/2022).  The suit was brought on behalf of approximately 523 employees who requested, but were denied, a religious exemption or accommodation from the hospital system's COVID vaccination mandate. If the settlement is approved by the court, the hospital system will pay $10,330,500 in damages. Most former employees will receive $25,000 each.  $2,061,500 of the settlement amount will go to plaintiffs' counsel. Liberty Counsel issued a press release announcing the settlement and National Catholic Register reported on the settlement agreement.

Illinois Wildlife Code Requirement Survives Free Exercise Challenge

In Tranchita v. Callahan, (ND IL, Feb. 9, 2022), an Illinois federal district court rejected a free exercise challenge to requirements of the Illinois Wildlife Code that led to the seizure of four coyotes from Tomi Tranchita who cared for orphaned coyotes in her suburban Chicago backyard.  Under Illinois law, a person can possess coyotes only if they have both a Breeder Permit and a Hound Running Permit. The requirements for obtaining a Hound Running Permit effectively prevent keeping of coyotes in urban or suburban areas.  Tranchita held a Breeder Permit, but had been unable to renew her Hound Running Permit.  She contends that hound running, i.e. chasing of coyotes by dogs, violates her religious, ethical and moral beliefs.  She argued that requiring her to possess a permit to engage in such a cruel practice violates her free exercise rights. The court held that the Permit requirement is neutral and generally applicable, and the state had a rational basis for the requirement.  The court also rejected Tranchita's equal protection, due process and pre-emption challenges.

Pastor's Suit Against Church For Mishandling Investigation Dismissed On Ecclesiastical Abstention Grounds

In Taylor v. Evangelical Covenant Church, (IL App., Jan. 12, 2022), an Illinois state appeals court dismissed on ecclesiastical abstention grounds a suit by a pastor against his former church for breach of contract and intentional interference with economic advantage. Plaintiff claimed that the church carelessly handled an investigation into malicious accusations against him of sexual assault supposedly occurring some forty years earlier, before plaintiff became a pastor. Plaintiff was suspended during the investigation, and after the suspension was lifted he was never returned to his former position. The court said in part:

Even viewed in the light most favorable to him, plaintiff’s claims arise from a wholly internal investigation and suspension conducted by his church. Plaintiff’s claims are inexorably intertwined with defendant’s investigation as to whether he was fit to serve as a pastor, given the accusation of sexual misconduct against him. That is, the substance of plaintiff’s complaint relates to internal matters of church governance and discipline. Ecclesiastical abstention is required because this case necessarily involves matters of internal discipline....  [N]o matter how egregiously defendant may have departed from proper investigatory procedures, the subject matter of the dispute makes abstention compulsory.

7th Circuit: Church's Suit Against Rescinded COVID Order Is Moot

In Elim Romanian Pentecostal Church v. Pritzker, (7th Cir., Jan. 11, 2022), the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed an Illinois federal district court's denial of an injunction against a now-rescinded COVID order by the Governor of Illinois limiting the number of people who could attend a religious service. The district court based its decision on mootness grounds, even though the 7th Circuit had previously held the case was not moot. The 7th Circuit now said however:

More than 19 months have passed since they were last subject to an attendance limit, and the Governor has not suggested that another is likely.  A legal conclusion that a rescinded order violated the Constitution would not entitle anyone to an injunction....

Vaccine Mandate For Chicago City Employees Upheld

In Troogstad v. City of Chicago, (ND IL, Nov. 24, 2021), an Illinois federal district court refused to grant a temporary restraining order to city employees who were challenging the state and city mandatory COVID vaccination policy.  Among plaintiffs' various challenges was a free exercise claim, to which the court said in part:

To be clear, if a particular employee is denied a religious exemption, she may challenge that denial, based on the particular facts of her case, as a violation of her free exercise rights. But no Plaintiffs have been denied a religious exemption on grounds other than failing to adequately articulate their individual circumstances, as the City Vaccination Policy requires....

The court also rejected plaintiffs' claims that the vaccination mandate violates the Illinois Healthcare Right of Conscience Act, saying in part:

Plaintiffs might well be correct, if the City Vaccination Policy did not contain any avenue for religious exemptions.

But the City Vaccination Policy does provide a detailed religious exemption process that protects anyone who holds sincere religious objections to being vaccinated.

Nurse's Religious Objections Should Have Been Accommodated Under Illinois Right of Conscience Act

 In Rojas v. Martell,(IL Cir. Ct., Oct. 25, 2021), an Illinois state trial court held that under Illinois Healthcare Right of Conscience Act, a county Health Department Clinic should have accommodated the objections of a nurse who on religious grounds would not participate in abortion referrals or provide contraceptives to patients. However, the court found that plaintiff was entitled only to the statutory minimum damages of $2500 because she should have mitigated damages by pursuing a position that was available at a nursing home. The court summarized its holding:

[W]hen one member of a team of employees makes an objection of conscience to performing a minority of her job duties, the employer should be required to accommodate the employee in her present position if doing so does not unreasonably compromise the employer's operations.

ADF issued a press release announcing the decision.