A federal judge in North Dakota has granted a preliminary injunction allowing over 8,000 Catholic employers nationwide to opt out of federal regulations that protect workers seeking abortions, fertility treatments, and other reproductive care. U.S. District Judge Daniel Traynor ruled that the Catholic Benefits Association and the Diocese of Bismarck were likely to succeed in their argument that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission EEOC regulations, intended to enforce the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, violated their religious freedoms.
The judge also blocked the EEOC from enforcing anti-harassment regulations that would require employers to speak in favor of these reproductive services, which are contrary to Catholic teachings.
Judge Traynor, a 2020 appointee of former President Donald Trump, highlighted concerns about religious freedom in his ruling, emphasizing the harm Catholic employers would face if forced to comply with the EEOC’s rule.
The judge’s decision follows controversy over the EEOC’s broad interpretation of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, which was passed in 2022 with bipartisan support to protect workers requiring accommodations related to pregnancy and childbirth, including time off for abortion, fertility treatments, and birth control.
While the Department of Justice declined to comment, legal experts, such as Inimai Chettiar from the group A Better Balance, criticized the ruling, saying it reflects a broader attack on reproductive rights.
Critics warn that the ruling could undermine the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, and reproductive rights advocates, including the ACLU, expressed concern about the ruling’s impact on civil rights.
The decision echoes other similar legal challenges, such as a recent case in Louisiana, and has prompted concerns that such rulings could create a chilling effect on the rights of pregnant workers across the country.