The Biden-Harris administration has agreed to pay $210,000 in attorneys’ fees and costs following a successful lawsuit brought by the Christian Employers Alliance (CEA).
The agreement follows a federal district court’s decision in March to stop the administration from forcing faith-based nonprofit and for-profit employers and healthcare professionals to pay for or perform gender transition procedures and medications in violation of their religious beliefs.
CEA was represented in court by Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), whose attorneys on Tuesday filed a stipulated dismissal of the remaining claims in the case.
“All employers and health care providers, including those in the Christian Employers Alliance, have the constitutionally protected freedom to conduct their business and render treatment in a manner consistent with their deeply held religious beliefs,” said ADF Senior Counsel and Director of Regulatory Practice Matt Bowman. “The employers we represent believe that God purposefully created humans as either male or female, and so it would violate their religious beliefs to pay for or perform life-altering medical procedures or surgeries that seek to change one’s sex. We’re pleased to favorably conclude this lawsuit on behalf of our clients and hold the administration accountable for trying to force unlawful mandates that disrespect people of faith.”
The lawsuit argued that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) misinterpreted and improperly enforced Title VII’s provisions regarding discrimination on the basis of sex, using the legislation to force Christian organizations to provide employees health insurance coverage for gender-altering procedures. ADF also argued that the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) reinterpretation of “sex” forced religious federally-funded healthcare providers to perform or facilitate such procedures.
The court found that “CEA’s religious beliefs are substantially burdened by the monetary penalties it faces for refusing to violate its beliefs.”
CEA President Shannon Royce said, “We are overjoyed our members will not have to choose between the biblically based employee benefits and quality healthcare they provide, and the threat of federal enforcement and massive costs for practicing their faith.”
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