National Women's Law Center: Federal Court Allows Challenge to Proceed Against Trump Administration Back-Room Birth Control Agreement

HAMMOND, Indiana, Jan. 18 -- The National Women's Law Center issued the following statement on Jan. 16:

The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana ruled to allow a lawsuit brought by the National Women's Law Center (NWLC), Americans United for Separation of Church and State (Americans United), the Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR), and law firms Fried Frank and Macey Swanson to proceed against the Trump-Pence Administration and University of Notre Dame.

The lawsuit is brought on behalf of student group Irish 4 Reproductive Health and others on Notre Dame's health plan and challenges an unlawful settlement agreement between the Administration and the University of Notre Dame that denies students and employees insurance coverage of birth control guaranteed to them by the Affordable Care Act. It also challenges rules issued by the Trump-Pence Administration that allow virtually any employer or university to take birth control coverage away from employees and students. The court denied the Administration's and University's attempt to dismiss the lawsuit.

The following is a statement by Fatima Goss Graves, president and CEO of the National Women's Law Center (NWLC):

"Today's ruling sends a clear message to the Trump-Pence Administration that it cannot deny birth control coverage by entering into backroom deals or issuing unlawful rules. The Administration is once again trying to circumvent the law, and it must end. This is a win not only for Notre Dame students, but for everyone seeking access to birth control. We will keep fighting until every person across the country has the birth control coverage guaranteed to them by law, no matter where they work or go to school."

For more information, visit: https://www.nwlc.org/resource/nwlc-amicus-briefs-supporting-contraceptive-coverage-benefit