A federal judge has extended the deadline to March 27 for Michigan officials to respond to a lawsuit two pro-life groups filed to challenge a state employment law they say violates First Amendment protections, according to a March 11 report from Michigan Advance.
The original deadline for the defendants to respond was March 4; on Feb. 26 Judge Robert Jonker of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan, Southern Division, granted an order extending the deadline, the outlet reported.
The plaintiffs, Right to Life Michigan and the Pregnancy Resource Center in Grand Rapids, are challenging a state employment law that they allege “requires them to recruit and hire those with pro-abortion views, restricts these groups from explaining their pro-life requirements to applicants, and requires these groups to offer abortion coverage in their insurance plan because they generally offer insurance to their employees,” the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit argues that because the plaintiffs require employees to hold pro-life values, they are in violation of the employment law and thus at risk of losing licenses or paying fines, according to the Michigan Advance report. They filed for a preliminary injunction to prevent the defendants in their official capacities from violating the pro-life groups’ First and Fourteenth Amendment Rights, according to the filing.
“Right to Life and PRC bring this suit to ensure they can continue to serve Michiganders without diluting their pro-life views through the lukewarm or hostile hires Michigan’s law demands,” the lawsuit, filed by attorneys with Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), states.
The plaintiffs filed the lawsuit against Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, Executive Director of the Michigan Department of Civil Rights John Johnson Jr., and Michigan Civil Rights Commission members.
In a Feb. 6 press release, ADF Senior Counsel Byran Neihart argued that a law forcing pro-life organizations to hire employees who disagree with their beliefs “makes no sense.”
“Pro-life groups should be free to share the message of hope and joy with women and families experiencing a difficult season through employees who share their common goal,” Neihart said. “Right to Life and Pregnancy Resource Center both recognize that every woman deserves real support to make the healthiest choice for her and her unborn baby. But Michigan’s law forces these organizations to contradict their beliefs and to employ staff who endorse abortion — a decision that harms women and ends innocent lives.”
According to Michigan Advance, after the defendants respond to the complaint, the plaintiffs will have a deadline response time of four weeks.