Without giving a reason, the U.S. Justice has dismissed the lawsuit filed against the University of Vermont Medical Center, The Associated Press reported in an August 2 story.
The lawsuit was filed by the U.S. Justice Dept. during the Trump administration, alleging the hospital violated what is known as the “Church Amendments,” which prevent hospitals from discriminating against medical staff who refuse to assist in abortion procedures.
Roger Severino, who reviewed the case at the Office of Civil Rights at HHS during the Trump administration, shared his alarm with EWTN after learning the Biden administration had dropped the case. It was an “open and shut” case of a conscience violation, he said.
"The nurse informed her bosses that she could not in good conscience assist in an abortion,” Severino told the pro-life news network, “and then they tricked her into showing up for the abortion procedure.”
Now faced with assisting in the abortion, the nurse alleged she also faced termination and even losing her nursing license if she refused.
Severino went on to say that the University of Vermont Medical Center was “unrepentant” of violating the nurse’s personal beliefs and was unwilling to comply with a federal law.
When the case was reviewed at HHS, investigators determined the law had been violated and the case was handed over to the Dept. of Justice to go after the hospital for its conscience violation.
“I cannot underscore how rare it is for DOJ to simply drop a case after it's been signed off by career people at HHS, career people at DOJ, and getting literally nothing in return,” Severino concluded. “It is an outrage."
