Court: Nurses Don’t Have to Do Abortions, for Now (278 hits)
Federal judge protects conscience rights for nurses as case gets underway. Two nurses working at a hospital run by the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey won’t have to assist in abortions today as planned, thanks to a federal judge. The court issued a temporary restraining order against the federally funded hospital’s month-old policy forcing every nurse on staff to assist in abortions, regardless of their religious or moral convictions.
The Alliance Defense Fund filed a lawsuit against the hospital on Oct. 31 on behalf of 12 nurses who feel their rights have been violated. Some have already been forced to assist in abortions or face the possibility of losing their jobs; two were scheduled to do so today.
“These 12 nurses have encountered threats to their jobs at this hospital ever since a policy change required them to participate in the abortion cases regardless of their religious and moral objections,” ADF attorney Matt Bowman said. A hearing is scheduled for Nov. 18. Both state and federal law prevent health care workers from being forced to participate in abortions against their will, Bowman said, “but it is disturbing that the hospital may fight to continue violating laws that clearly protect conscience rights.”
