“The Supreme Court should affirm that it is unconstitutional for the Trump administration to misuse religious freedom to block employees’ and students’ access to birth control. Federal courts in Pennsylvania, California and just yesterday in our case in Indiana have ruled against this discriminatory policy," said Rachel Laser, president and CEO of Americans United. "As a reminder, the Affordable Care Act guarantees employees and students the right to contraceptive coverage. The religious beliefs of their bosses and university officials cannot deny them this right."

Americans United raised the alarm that the unprecedented attacks on reproductive rights this year were directly linked to efforts to undermine church-state separation. Religious beliefs often are used to justify regressive reproductive policies such as the abortion bans that were proposed in several states and the Trump administration’s rules that would allow employers and universities to use religion to deny employees and students access to birth control.

In a ruling this week, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals continued blocking Trump administration rules that would allow employers and universities to deny their employees and students health-insurance coverage for contraceptive care. It’s a win for reproductive rights, religious freedom and common sense.