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A federal district court ruled against the Biden administration in a case involving the Christian Employers Alliance (CEA) and employees' rights to refuse to pay for transgender surgeries, according to a press release from Monday.
The lawsuit was titled Christian Employers Alliance v. U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and was filed in Oct. 2021 in the U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota.
"In a victory for religious employers, a federal district court ruled Monday that the Biden administration cannot force non-profit and for-profit religious employers and healthcare providers to violate their religious beliefs by paying for and performing harmful ‘gender transition’ surgeries, procedures, counseling, and treatments," Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) announced in a press release.
A federal district court ruled against the Biden administration in a case involving the Christian Employers Alliance (CEA) and employees' rights to refuse to perform transgender surgeries, according to a press release from Monday. (Getty Images)
The Biden administration attempted to enforce "two mandates" against CEA that were prevented by the ruling, per ADF. The court found that "CEA’s religious beliefs are substantially burdened by the monetary penalties it faces for refusing to violate its beliefs."
"All employers and healthcare providers, including those in the Christian Employers Alliance, have the constitutionally protected freedom to conduct their business and render treatment in a manner consistent with their deeply held religious beliefs," ADF Senior Counsel and Director of Regulatory Practice Matt Bowman said. "The employers we represent believe that God purposefully created humans as either male or female, and so it would violate their religious beliefs to pay for or perform life-altering medical procedures or surgeries that seek to change one’s sex. The court was on firm ground to stop the administration from enforcing these unlawful mandates that disrespect people of faith."
The lawsuit was originally filed in Oct. 2021, included the argument that the "Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is misinterpreting and improperly enforcing discrimination based on sex in Title VII to force religious employers to pay for and provide health insurance coverage for such surgeries and procedures," per the statement. "Additionally, the lawsuit challenges the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ reinterpretation of ‘sex’ in federal law to include gender identity, thereby forcing religious healthcare providers who receive federal funding to physically perform or facilitate surgeries and procedures that conflict with their deeply held beliefs."
The 2021 lawsuit stated that "CEA members hold traditional Christian beliefs that God created humans distinctly as male and female, and that this sex is immutable and unchangeable."
"If CEA members follow their beliefs, they risk liability, investigations, punitive damages, attorney’s fees, and other penalties under Title VII and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA)," the suit continues.
The 2021 lawsuit stated that "CEA members hold traditional Christian beliefs that God created humans distinctly as male and female, and that this sex is immutable and unchangeable." (Getty)
"We are overjoyed our members will not have to choose between the biblically based employee benefits and quality healthcare they provide, and the threat of federal enforcement and massive costs for practicing their faith," CEA President Shannon Royce said.
"[P]erforming or providing health care coverage for gender transition services under the EEOC and HHS coverage mandates impinges upon CEA’s beliefs," the court reportedly wrote in its ruling. "CEA must either comply with the EEOC and HHS mandates by violating their sincerely held religious beliefs or else face harsh consequences like paying fines and facing civil liability… [But] religious freedom cannot be encumbered on a case-by-case basis."
The Department of Justice did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.