Summary
Southern Nazarene University, Oklahoma Wesleyan University, Oklahoma Baptist University, and Mid-America Christian University are Christ-centered institutions of higher education in Oklahoma. The government sought to force these universities to compromise their deeply held religious beliefs on the sanctity of human life. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services required the school to suffer extreme penalties if they did not include all FDA-approved contraceptives, including abortion-inducing drugs and devices, in their employee and student health plans.
ADF filed a lawsuit challenging the mandate on behalf of these universities. In November 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court granted review of the case and consolidated it with six other similar cases against the mandate.
In May 2016, the Supreme Court sent the cases back to the lower courts, directing the courts to allow the parties to "arrive at an approach going forward that accommodates petitioners' religious exercise."
In May 2018, the district court enjoined the federal government from enforcing the mandate against the universities, permanently ending this attack on religious freedom.
Our role in this case
Alliance Defending Freedom represented the universities, defending their freedom to operate according to their deeply held religious beliefs.
What's at stake
The freedom to integrate Christian commitment into all aspects of a Christian community.
The freedom for religious educational institutions to provide health insurance for their employees and students according to their beliefs.
The freedom from the threat of crippling fines for resisting illegal government mandates.
Watch
Press Releases
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May 16th, 2018Court orders end to abortion-pill mandate for Oklahoma Christian universities -
October 18th, 2017No ‘accommodation’: new abortion-pill mandate scheme still violates religious freedom
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May 16th, 2016US Supreme Court sends nonprofit abortion-pill mandate cases back to lower courts -
January 12th, 2016President of university challenging Obama mandate to be senator’s guest at State of the Union Address
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January 5th, 2016Christian colleges to Supreme Court: Govt can’t mandate abortion pill coverage
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October 15th, 2015Supreme Court soon to decide whether to tackle abortion-pill mandate’s sham ‘accommodation’
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July 24th, 2015ADF to Supreme Court: Strike down abortion-pill mandate’s sham ‘accommodation’ -
September 20th, 2013Christian universities in Okla. challenge abortion pill mandate
Case Documents
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