Summary
The city of Hartford enacted an ordinance that forced a life-affirming, faith-based pregnancy care center to make compelled statements using signs inside and outside the facility, on its website, and in telephone conversations with clients. The ordinance is similar to portions of a California law that the U.S. Supreme Court struck down in National Institute of Family and Life Advocates v. Becerra. Caring Families and its affiliated mobile care ministry have challenged the local ordinance in federal court, arguing that the city’s compelled statements are a violation of the First Amendment and incorrectly imply that the nonprofit is unqualified to provide the range of free services it offers to clients.
Case timeline
- April 2019: Caring Families filed its lawsuit, challenging the City of Hartford’s ordinance in federal court.
- May 2019: ADF attorneys filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Civil Rights to report discrimination against the pregnancy center.
- July 2020: City officials clarified what services are considered medical and conceded that the law does not apply to Caring Families because the center always has medical personnel on site when providing any medical services to women. Based on this understanding, the parties jointly dismissed the case.
