St. Louis, Mo., Nov 29, 2012 / 11:34 am
A federal appeals court on Nov. 28 granted a Catholic business owner in Missouri an injunction against the Department of Health and Human Services mandate that he says violates his religious freedom by forcing him to provide insurance coverage for morally objectionable drugs and procedures.
"The order sends a message that the religious beliefs of employers must be respected by the government," said Francis Manion, Senior Counsel of the American Center for Law and Justice.
The center is representing Frank O'Brien and his St. Louis-based business O'Brien Industrial Holdings, LLC, which operates many businesses in ceramic materials exploration, mining and processing.
"We have argued from the beginning that employers like Frank O'Brien must be able to operate their business in a manner consistent with their moral values, not the values of the government," Manion said Nov. 28. "We look forward to this case moving forward and securing the constitutional rights of our client."