COVINGTON, La.—Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund have filed suit against St. Tammany Parish Hospital for terminating the employment of a nurse who refused to administer the “morning after” abortion pill. The suit argues that the hospital’s actions violate the Louisiana Employment Discrimination Law.
The nurse, Toni Lemly, had informed hospital supervisory staff that she objected to administering the “morning after” abortion pill because of her sincerely held religious beliefs. St. Tammany Parish Hospital responded by firing her from her full-time position and reducing her to part-time status, working only three days a week. The demotion to part-time status caused a substantial reduction in her pay as well as loss of employee benefits.
“This case is about the protection and freedom of conscience,” said ADF attorney Mike Johnson. “The hospital’s refusal to make a reasonable accommodation for Ms. Lemly’s sincerely held religious beliefs and their termination of her full-time job is unlawful.”
Lemly had offered a number of reasonable suggestions to the hospital that would enable the facility to continue administering the “morning after” abortion pill while still allowing her to abstain from dispensing the pill herself. The hospital chose not to act on any of her suggestions.
“St. Tammany Parish Hospital should have reversed its course and complied with the law. Had they done so, this lawsuit would not be necessary,” Johnson said. “Ms. Lemly, a nurse of 23 years, loves her work, and she does not deserve to be discriminated against because of her religious beliefs. All that she asks of the hospital is to respect her freedom in choosing to not participate in the taking of a human life.”
The lawsuit,
Lemly v. St. Tammany Parish Hospital District No. 1, was filed in the 22nd Judicial District Court for the Parish of St. Tammany. The petition can be read at
www.telladf.org/UserDocs/LemlyPFD.pdf.
ADF is America’s largest legal alliance defending religious liberty through strategy, training, funding, and litigation.
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