On September 5, 2013, the voting stockholders of Midwest Fasteners, a Michigan for-profit corporation, filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against the Federal Government under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), the First Amendment, and the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). The plaintiffs, represented by private counsel, asked the court to issue a preliminary and permanent injunction prohibiting enforcement of provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) extending universal contraception coverage to employer-sponsored private health insurance. Specifically, the stockholders contended that compliance with the contraception coverage requirement violated their sincerely held religious beliefs.

On October 8, 2013, the plaintiffs filed a motion for a preliminary injunction of the HHS Mandate. They also sought a stay. On October 15, the Government filed a notice of non-opposition to the plaintiffs' motions in light of ongoing appeals in similar cases, including Gilardi v. HHS.

On October 16,2013 the District Court (Judge Ellen Segal Huvelle) granted the unopposed motion for preliminary injunction and stayed the case until 30 days after the resolution of Gilardi. Additionally, Judge Huvelle directed the clerk to administratively close the case until further order of the court.

On June 30, 2014, the Supreme Court decided Burwell v. Hobby Lobby in favor of Hobby Lobby due to their religious objection to complying with the contraception coverage of the ACA.

Back in this case, on September 10, 2014 the parties jointly filed a motion for stay that was granted on September 16, 2014. In addition to granting the motion for stay, the court extended the preliminary injunction until October 20, 2014 and ordered the parties to file status reports on October 6, 2014.

On October 24, 2014 Judge Ellen S. Huvelle ruled that, in light of the Supreme Court's decision in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby, the defendants would be permanently enjoined from enforcing the provisions of the ACA against the plaintiffs. The parties were ordered to attempt to reach an agreement on attorneys fees within 45 days. The plaintiffs filed a motion on December 3, 2014 to extend time to file a motion for attorney's fees and a new deadline was set for January 7, 2015.

There has been no further activity on the docket the case is now presumed closed.

Richard Jolly - 05/11/2014
Taylor Brook - 02/22/2018


compress summary