Judge Blocks Biden-Era Rule Mandating Abortion and Fertility Treatments Accommodations

A U.S. judge has blocked a federal rule that required employers, including Catholic organizations, to accommodate employees undergoing abortions or fertility treatments. The judge ruled that this mandate violated religious freedom protections. The decision halts the enforcement of the rule while legal challenges continue.

A U.S. judge has halted enforcement of a federal rule requiring employers to accommodate employees who have abortions or undergo fertility treatments, in a case involving a nationwide Catholic employers' association.

U.S. District Judge Daniel Traynor issued a preliminary injunction in favor of the Catholic Benefits Association and the Catholic Diocese of Bismarck, who argued that the rule violated religious freedom protections under the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

The judge's order blocks the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission from acting against association members for not following the rule.