On October 30, 2013, three business owners and their businesses filed this lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The plaintiffs sued the federal government under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), the First Amendment, and the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). The plaintiffs, represented by the Thomas More Law Center, asked the court to issue both 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 coverage. Specifically, the plaintiffs contended that they operate their business pursuant to their faith in God and that compliance with the contraception coverage requirement is a substantial burden on their religious exercise.

On November 15, 2013, the plaintiffs filed an unopposed motion for a preliminary injunction and an unopposed motion to stay the proceedings until thirty days after the substantially similar contraception mandate issues are settled by the Gilardi v. U.S. Dep't of Health and Human Servs. appeal. The court granted the motion on November 19, 2013.

On November 5, 2014, following the Supreme Court's decision in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby, which held that closely-held for-profit corporations should have access to the contraception mandate accommodation, the District Court entered a permanent injunction against enforcement of the contraceptive services mandate and related fines against the plaintiffs. The Court entered judgment for the plaintiffs on their RFRA claim, dismissed all other claims, and instructed the parties to meet and confer on attorney's fees and costs. On January 7, 2015, the parties notified the court that they had come to an agreement on attorney's fees and costs and that no further proceedings were necessary.

Richard Jolly - 03/05/2014
Kate Craddock - 02/13/2016


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