Case: Belmont Abbey College v. Sebelius [II]

1:13-cv-01831 | U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia

Filed Date: Nov. 20, 2013

Closed Date: 2014

Clearinghouse coding complete

Case Summary

On November 20, 2013, Belmont Abbey College, a Catholic liberal arts college, filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia under the First Amendment, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act ("RFRA"), and the Administrative Procedures Act ("APA"), against the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and the Treasury. The plaintiff, represented by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, asked the court for both declaratory and injunctive relief, alleging that…

On November 20, 2013, Belmont Abbey College, a Catholic liberal arts college, filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia under the First Amendment, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act ("RFRA"), and the Administrative Procedures Act ("APA"), against the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and the Treasury. The plaintiff, represented by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, asked the court for both declaratory and injunctive relief, alleging that federal rules adopted pursuant to the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) violated its religious freedom by requiring it to provide coverage for contraception through its group health insurance plan. Claiming that providing coverage for contraception would both contravene its Catholic faith and compel speech contrary to its beliefs, the plaintiff sought an exemption from the ACA's contraception mandate for itself and other institutions with similar religious objections.

The plaintiff's complaint was substantially similar to one it had filed in 2011, Belmont Abbey College v. Sebelius [II], which was dismissed on August 13, 2013 because the contraception mandate had not yet harmed the plaintiffs.

On January 29, 2014, the defendants filed an unopposed motion to stay this case pending the Supreme Court's resolution of Priests for Life v. Sebelius (later consolidated as Zubik v. Sebelius [II] , and heard by the Supreme Court in 2016). On November 3, 2014, the plaintiffs, for unspecified reasons, filed a notice of voluntary dismissal without prejudice.

Summary Authors

Kate Craddock (8/7/2016)

Related Cases

Belmont Abbey College v. Sebelius [I], District of Columbia (2011)

People

For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/4212348/parties/belmont-abbey-college-v-sebelius/


Judge(s)

Cooper, Christopher Reid (District of Columbia)

Attorney for Plaintiff

Keim, Adele A. (District of Columbia)

Rienzi, Mark (District of Columbia)

Attorney for Defendant

Bennett, Michelle Renee (District of Columbia)

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Documents in the Clearinghouse

Document

1:13-cv-01831

Docket

Nov. 20, 2014

Nov. 20, 2014

Docket
1

1:13-cv-01831

Complaint

Nov. 20, 2013

Nov. 20, 2013

Complaint
18

1:13-cv-01831

Notice of Voluntary Dismissal

Nov. 3, 2014

Nov. 3, 2014

Pleading / Motion / Brief

Resources

Docket

See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/4212348/belmont-abbey-college-v-sebelius/

Last updated March 26, 2024, 3:14 a.m.

ECF Number Description Date Link Date / Link
1

COMPLAINT against All Defendants with Jury Demand ( Filing fee $ 400 receipt number 0090-3541232) filed by BELMONT ABBEY COLLEGE. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit A, # 2 Exhibit B, # 3 Exhibit C, # 4 Exhibit D, # 5 Exhibit E, # 6 Exhibit F, # 7 Exhibit G, # 8 Exhibit H, # 9 Exhibit I, # 10 Exhibit J, # 11 Civil Cover Sheet, # 12 Summons)(Rienzi, Mark) (Entered: 11/20/2013)

1 Exhibit A

View on PACER

2 Exhibit B

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3 Exhibit C

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4 Exhibit D

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5 Exhibit E

View on PACER

6 Exhibit F

View on PACER

7 Exhibit G

View on PACER

8 Exhibit H

View on PACER

9 Exhibit I

View on PACER

10 Exhibit J

View on PACER

11 Civil Cover Sheet

View on PACER

12 Summons

View on PACER

Nov. 20, 2013

Nov. 20, 2013

RECAP
2

Corporate Disclosure Statement by BELMONT ABBEY COLLEGE. (Rienzi, Mark) (Entered: 11/20/2013)

Nov. 20, 2013

Nov. 20, 2013

PACER
3

NOTICE OF RELATED CASE by BELMONT ABBEY COLLEGE. Case related to Case No. 1:11-cv-01989-JEB. (Rienzi, Mark) (Entered: 11/20/2013)

Nov. 20, 2013

Nov. 20, 2013

PACER
4

NOTICE of Appearance by Adele Auxier Keim on behalf of All Plaintiffs (Keim, Adele) (Entered: 11/20/2013)

Nov. 20, 2013

Nov. 20, 2013

PACER
5

ELECTRONIC SUMMONS ISSUED (8) as to JACOB LEW, THOMAS PEREZ, KATHLEEN SEBELIUS, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY, U.S. Attorney and U.S. Attorney General (Attachments: # 1 Notice of Consent, # 2 Consent Form)(md, ) (Entered: 11/21/2013)

Nov. 21, 2013

Nov. 21, 2013

PACER
6

RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES served on 12/2/2013 (Rienzi, Mark) (Entered: 12/20/2013)

Dec. 20, 2013

Dec. 20, 2013

PACER
7

RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR served on 12/2/2013 (Rienzi, Mark) (Entered: 12/20/2013)

Dec. 20, 2013

Dec. 20, 2013

PACER
8

RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed. JACOB LEW served on 12/6/2013 (Rienzi, Mark) (Entered: 12/20/2013)

Dec. 20, 2013

Dec. 20, 2013

PACER
9

RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed. THOMAS PEREZ served on 12/2/2013 (Rienzi, Mark) (Entered: 12/20/2013)

Dec. 20, 2013

Dec. 20, 2013

PACER
10

RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed. KATHLEEN SEBELIUS served on 12/2/2013 (Rienzi, Mark) (Entered: 12/20/2013)

Dec. 20, 2013

Dec. 20, 2013

PACER
11

RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY served on 12/5/2013 (Rienzi, Mark) (Entered: 12/20/2013)

Dec. 20, 2013

Dec. 20, 2013

PACER
12

RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed on United States Attorney General. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney General 12/2/2013. (Rienzi, Mark) (Entered: 12/20/2013)

Dec. 20, 2013

Dec. 20, 2013

PACER
13

RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed as to the United States Attorney. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney on 12/2/2013. Answer due for ALL FEDERAL DEFENDANTS by 1/31/2014. (Rienzi, Mark) (Entered: 12/20/2013)

Dec. 20, 2013

Dec. 20, 2013

PACER
14

Unopposed MOTION to Stay Proceedings by JACOB LEW, THOMAS E. PEREZ, KATHLEEN SEBELIUS, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY (Bennett, Michelle) (Entered: 01/29/2014)

Jan. 29, 2014

Jan. 29, 2014

PACER
15

STATUS REPORT (Joint) by JACOB LEW, THOMAS E. PEREZ, KATHLEEN SEBELIUS, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY. (Bennett, Michelle) (Entered: 08/01/2014)

Aug. 1, 2014

Aug. 1, 2014

PACER
16

STATUS REPORT, Filed Jointly by BELMONT ABBEY COLLEGE. (Rienzi, Mark) (Entered: 09/02/2014)

Sept. 2, 2014

Sept. 2, 2014

PACER
17

STATUS REPORT, Filed Jointly by Defendants and by BELMONT ABBEY COLLEGE. (Rienzi, Mark) (Entered: 10/15/2014)

Oct. 15, 2014

Oct. 15, 2014

PACER
18

NOTICE of Voluntary Dismissal by BELMONT ABBEY COLLEGE (Rienzi, Mark) (Entered: 11/03/2014)

Nov. 3, 2014

Nov. 3, 2014

PACER

Case Details

State / Territory: District of Columbia

Case Type(s):

Speech and Religious Freedom

Special Collection(s):

Contraception Insurance Mandate

Multi-LexSum (in sample)

Key Dates

Filing Date: Nov. 20, 2013

Closing Date: 2014

Case Ongoing: No

Plaintiffs

Plaintiff Description:

The plaintiff is a Christian college that opposes the use of contraception for religious reasons, and therefore objects to the contraception mandate in the ACA.

Plaintiff Type(s):

Private Plaintiff

Non-profit religious organization

Public Interest Lawyer: Yes

Filed Pro Se: No

Class Action Sought: No

Class Action Outcome: Not sought

Defendants

United States Department of Health and Human Services (Washington), Federal

United States Department of Labor (Washington), Federal

United States Department of the Treasury (Washington), Federal

Defendant Type(s):

Jurisdiction-wide

Hospital/Health Department

Case Details

Causes of Action:

Religious Freedom Rest. Act/Religious Land Use and Inst. Persons Act (RFRA/RLUIPA)

Constitutional Clause(s):

Due Process

Free Exercise Clause

Establishment Clause

Freedom of speech/association

Equal Protection

Available Documents:

Trial Court Docket

Complaint (any)

Non-settlement Outcome

Outcome

Prevailing Party: Defendant

Nature of Relief:

None

Source of Relief:

Settlement

Form of Settlement:

Voluntary Dismissal

Issues

Reproductive rights:

Abortion

Contraception

General:

Religious programs / policies

Discrimination-basis:

Religion discrimination