Criswell College Files Lawsuit Against Obama Administration Over Coercive HHS Mandate

Lawsuit Seeks Injunction Declaring Requirement to Provide Insurance for Abortions Unconstitutional

DALLAS, Nov. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, Liberty Institute on behalf of its client Criswell College, a Christ-centered institution of higher learning located in the heart of Dallas, filed a lawsuit against the federal government's HHS Mandate in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division.

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The lawsuit, The Criswell College v. Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, contends that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' requirements mandating insurance coverage to its employees, which include provision of abortion-inducing drugs, unconstitutionally coerce Criswell College to violate its religious beliefs under threat of heavy fines and penalties. Specifically, the HHS Mandate violates the First and Fifth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, and the Administrative Procedure Act.

"The mandate requires us to violate our religious beliefs by forcing us to fund something that is contrary to the Biblical values we stand for," said Dr. Jerry Johnson, Criswell College President. "We feel betrayed that the government is trying to use the force of law to make us change our religious beliefs and practice by forcing us to fund the taking of innocent life."

Hiram Sasser, Liberty Institute Litigation Director, said, "With full knowledge that many religious organizations hold the same or similar beliefs as Criswell College, this Administration issued regulations forcing Criswell College and others to pay for and otherwise facilitate the use of abortion-inducing drugs in violation of their religious beliefs and practices."

Liberty Institute is a nonprofit legal group dedicated to defending and restoring religious liberty across America — in our schools, for our churches and throughout the public arena. Liberty's vision is to reestablish religious liberty in accordance with the principles of our Founding Fathers. For information, visit www.LibertyInstitute.org.

SOURCE Liberty Institute