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The Ticker

Breaking news from all corners of academe.

Supreme Court Declines to Rule on Religious Colleges’ Contraception Case

By Fernanda Zamudio-Suarez May 16, 2016

Rather than rule on the merits of a challenge to the Affordable Care Act’s provision for private health-insurance plans to offer women free access to contraception, the U.S. Supreme Court

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Rather than rule on the merits of a challenge to the Affordable Care Act’s provision for private health-insurance plans to offer women free access to contraception, the U.S. Supreme Court decided on Monday to send the case back to a lower court.

During oral arguments in the case, Zubik v. Burwell, No. 14-1418, in March, lawyers representing religious colleges argued that their clients were morally opposed to any involvement of their employee-insurance plans in providing contraception coverage. The Obama administration defended its position to deny exemptions to the federal provision.

Under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, colleges must show that their religious exercise is burdened significantly by the federal contraception requirement. There is no cost to the employer to provide contraception, but some religious colleges argue that it makes them indirectly complicit with a practice that they do not condone.

We welcome your thoughts and questions about this article. Please email the editors or submit a letter for publication.
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About the Author
Fernanda Zamudio-Suarez
Fernanda is the engagement editor at The Chronicle. She is the voice behind Chronicle newsletters like the Weekly Briefing, Five Weeks to a Better Semester, and more. She also writes about what Chronicle readers are thinking. Send her an email at fernanda@chronicle.com.
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