Tag Archives: State: New Jersey

Cathy Ruse at Human Events: They are represented by the Alliance Defense Fund, which obtained a temporary restraining order against the hospital in November. The hospital temporarily consented to the order, but will fight it at a hearing set for Dec. 22. The hospital received $60 million in federal taxpayer funds this year, maybe more

Asbury Park Press: Attorneys for the nurses contend that “UMDNJ admits that it is breaking the law. It simply asks this Court to let it do so.” Meanwhile, UMDNJ has called the lawsuit “nothing more than a vehicle to promote the anti-abortion political agenda of the Alliance Defense Fund,” referring to the legal organization representing the nurses.

David Andrusko at National Right to Life News: This hospital statement “indicates a policy shift from the university’s initial stance,” according to David Giambusso. True? Interestingly, when his story appeared elsewhere, a paragraph was conveniently omitted challenging that optimistic conclusion. “’The hospital filed a brief last week asking the court’s permission to continue bullying nurses into participating in elective abortion cases,” [ADF] lawyer Matt Bowman said in an e-mail. “Only by guaranteeing the court and the nurses that it has reversed its position would it prove that UMDNJ might finally be interested in following the law. Until then, ADF will continue to fight the illegal discrimination against these pro-life nurses.” I’ve been unable to get a hold of Mr. Bowman to find out exactly what was in the hospital’s brief. Stay tuned.

David Giambusso at Huffington Post (Religion News Service): A hearing in federal district court was scheduled for Monday (Dec. 5). The Arizona-based Alliance Defense Fund, which is representing the nurses, said only a court-approved agreement would mean the school “might finally be interested in following the law.”

Federation for Children: “We vote you in!” “We’ll vote you out!” The chant was at first a bit difficult to hear, but after a few refrains—and a steady increase in volume—the message to the men and women working in the building in front of the crowd couldn’t be denied.

Leon H. Wolf at Red State Blog: (As a side note, they are being represented by the Alliance Defense Fund, which is one of the most worthy conservative charities of your donations on the face of the earth. If you have ever bemoaned the lack of a conservative answer to the ACLU, know that ADF is attempting to bridge that gap but they face an enormous funding disparity. Thus ends this plug.)

LifeSiteNews.com: This quote in The Washington Post by one of the nurses stopped me in my tracks when I read it: One of the nurses, Fe Esperanza R. Vinoya, said a manager told her: “‘You just have to catch the baby’s head. Don’t worry, it’s already dead.’ ”

ADF Attorney Matt Bowman appeared on the Laura Ingraham Show to discuss the situation. | MP3 audio 14:20 mins

»The Catholic Review Online: “The hospital is threatening to impose discriminatory transfers or changes in the employment conditions for these nurses because of their religious and moral objections to abortion,” he said. “Such discrimination against pro-life nurses violates state and federal law, the court’s order in this case and even the hospital’s own public statements saying that no nurse must assist in procedures to which they object.”

Trenton Monitor: But the term “assisting in an abortion” covers a wide range of moral, ethical and religious ground said Demetrios Stratis, a Fair Lawn attorney who is the local counsel. Any action that facilitates the abortion – from filling out forms, to being present at the procedure to holding a patient’s hand during the procedure – could be considered assisting, Stratis told the press. Matt Bowman, an attorney with the Alliance Defense Fund, a coalition of Christian lawyers and organizations that is representing the nurses, said that previously the hospital hired per-diem nurses or those who volunteered to assist with abortions to help perform them. [more quotes]

The Washington Post: Bowman argued that requiring the nurses to get involved before and after an abortion violated their right to refuse based on their conscientious objections. “Federal and state law explicitly prohibits requiring nurses to assist in abortion against their moral and religious convictions,” Bowman said. “All these nurses are asking is that they not have to assist in any part of an abortion case.” . . . “The more regulations that exist to enforce federal law protecting conscience rights, the better,” Bowman said

NJ.com: The number of New Jersey residents receiving food stamps has doubled in the past four years and is at its highest level in more than a decade as the nation’s still sputtering economy continues to take its toll on the poorest residents of the Garden State, state and federal data show.

Greeley Gazette: The only thing stopping them right now is the court order. They are arguing they should be allowed to force the nurses to assist in the abortions,” Bowman said. “The hospital filed a brief Tuesday, arguing why it should be allowed to break the law and violate the nurse’s conscience rights.” “Abortion institutions around the country think that they can violate clear federal and state laws that prohibit forcing a person to participate in an abortion. This is a very clear violation of religious freedom.”

The New American: Frustrated by what he perceived to be a violation of his rights, Racaniello took his case to the Alliance Defense Fund, which informed officials that they would take the case to court if the township did not permit Racaniello to post his cross anywhere he would like on his own property. The ADF’s assertions forced the New Jersey city officials to relent.

Hospital accused of bullying nurses who oppose abortion: But according to a report from the Alliance Defense Fund, the hospital – after the judge’s order – told nurses who objected to being ordered to participate in abortions that among the “accommodations” that could be arranged would be “changes in duties, changes in scheduling, and/or transfer to another nursing position that does not involve duties that are objectionable.”

Alliance Defense Fund attorneys representing 12 pro-life nurses filed a motion for an emergency court order Friday against the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. In violation of an existing court order, UMDNJ is attempting to force the nurses into meetings that would impose discriminatory job “transfer” and other “changes” to their employment solely because of their objections to helping with abortions.

LifeNews.com: These pro-life nurses shouldn’t be bullied into employment discrimination that is forbidden both by federal law and a court order,” said ADF Legal Counsel Matt Bowman. “The hospital is threatening to impose discriminatory transfers or changes in the employment conditions for these nurses because of their religious and moral objections to abortion. Such discrimination against pro-life nurses violates state and federal law, the court’s order in this case, and even the hospital’s own public statements saying that no nurse must assist in procedures to which they object.”

Baptist Press – Life Digest: The order protected two nurses, Lorna Mendoze and Julita Ching, who were scheduled to help with abortions the next day, according to the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF), which represents the nurses in the case.

The FDU Library has posted information on the event to be hosted by David Redlawsk,
Director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling at Rutgers University

ADF Attorney Matt Bowman appeared on the Drew Mariani Show to discuss the erosion of conscience rights in America and the NJ Nurses case. | MP3 audio 8:50 mins

Congressman Chris Smith (NJ) appeared on the Hugh Hewitt Show. | MP3 audio 8:38 mins | Cong. Smith Supports Nurses at Press Conference at UMDNJ

NRL News Today: These statements were read yesterday at a press conference by nurses Fe Vinoya and Beryl Otieno Ngoje. They are two of twelve nurses who are asserting their fundamental civil rights guaranteed by both federal and state law by saying “no” to coerced participation in the killing of unborn children at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ).

NRL News Today: While the nuts and bolts of any story are essential, the “human element” is what makes it real to someone who is not directly involved . . . In response to a lawsuit filed on the nurses’ behalf by the Alliance Defense Fund, the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey insists that nurses are not required to have direct involvement in abortions, which infuriates the nurses, Congressman Chris Smith, and the nurses’ attorney, Matt Bowman. Bowman quoted from an email from the hospital’s attorneys which Bowman pointed out was factually incorrect. First, nurses had been required—and had participated—in abortions. Second, the hospital conceded that “they [the nurses] are required to provide patients who have elected to terminate their pregnancies with pre-operative care (not including the administration of induction medications), and postoperative care.”

LifeNews.com: No nurse should be forced to violate her religious or moral beliefs in order to keep her job. Nursing is a healing profession, and the law protects our right not to provide any services related to abortion. We are thankful that the Alliance Defense Fund and Mr. Stratis are standing by our side to protect our rights. For a few weeks at least, we can sleep soundly at night knowing that we also will be respected in our right to choose not participate in killing innocent lives.

Huffington Post (Religion News Service): “The law said they don’t have to assist any part of the (abortion) case,” said Matt Bowman, the attorney with the Alliance Defense Fund.

Catholic News Agency (CNA): Alliance Defense Fund attorneys are representing the nurses in the lawsuit. “Pro-life nurses shouldn’t be forced to assist or train in services related to abortions,” said ADF legal counsel Matt Bowman. “These 12 nurses have encountered threats to their jobs at this hospital ever since a policy change required them to participate in abortion cases regardless of their religious and moral objections.”

Yesterday, ADF Attorney Steve Aden appeared on Zeb at the Ranch with Guest Host Sharon Hardy Milles to discuss the NC litigation (Stuart v. Huff) and the NJ litigation (Danquah v. University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey lawsuit). | MP3 audio 18:10 mins | Earlier on November 7th, ADF Attorney Matt Bowman also appeared on the Zeb Bell Show to provide an update on the NJ litigation. | MP3 audio 16:39 mins

NCRegister.com: Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., and Matt Bowman, legal counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, joined some of the 12 nurses at a press conference yesterday, Nov. 14, outside of University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in Newark, N.J.

Daily Mail Online: Matthew Bowman, an attorney with the Alliance Defense Fund, filed the lawsuit on behalf of Vinoya and the eleven other nurses. He said each ‘possess[es] strongly held religious and moral beliefs that she may not participate in the process of an abortion that causes the death of a pre-born child’.

World Net Daily: hat’s according to Alan Sears, an executive with the Alliance Defense Fund, which has gone to court to obtain an order halting the hospital’s plans for now. “Cases like this are increasingly common in the U.S., as the battle over abortion spurs attacks on rights of individual conscience,” he penned in a website column posted by the ADF. “ADF is involved in a similar lawsuit in New York State court.”

Todd Starnes at Fox News: Matthew Bowman, an attorney with the Alliance Defense Fund, filed the lawsuit on behalf of Vinoya and the eleven other nurses. who “possess strongly held religious and moral beliefs that she may not participate in the process of an abortion that causes the death of a preborn child.”
Bowman told Fox News & Commentary that the hospital had been performing abortions for decades without forcing nurses to violate their religious beliefs. But that changed a few weeks ago.

Philly.com (11/11): The hospital is playing word games, as noted by the nurses’ attorney, Matt Bowman: But once the media began asking UMDNJ about their illegal behavior, they lied to cover it up. As of the time of this writing, UMDNJ still will not tell ADF attorneys if it has backed off from its Nov. 2 directive requiring nurses to assist. Yet UMDNJ continues to tell the media that no nurse is so require.

CBS New York (AP)(includes audio): dozen nurses who object to assisting abortion procedures on religious and ethical grounds say they’re still being compelled to help with the procedures despite having filed suit against New Jersey hospital where they work. (ADF not mentioned directly)

OneNewsNow.com: The 1974 Church Amendment and the 2005 Hyde-Weldon Conscience Law prohibits violations of religious and moral beliefs. The Alliance Defense Fund sought and received a temporary order to halt the practice until the case is resolved.

NJ Star Ledger: “The law said they don’t have to assist any part of the (abortion) case,” said Matt Bowman, the attorney with the Alliance Defense Fund. Demetrios Stratis, a Fair Lawn attorney who’s the local counsel, said the definition of what constitutes assisting in an abortion could be very fine.

News from Missouri Family Policy Council: The Alliance Defense Fund is representing the nurses in the case. Matt Bowman, legal counsel for ADF, says the hospital’s actions are “flatly illegal.” “These twelve nurses have encountered threats to their jobs at this hospital ever since the policy change required them to participate in abortions regardless of their religious and moral objections.” [more]

Christian Post: The Alliance Defense Fund, the legal firm defending the nurses, estimates that the university receives about $60 million annually in federal funds.

Washington Examiner: Matt Bowman, an attorney with the Alliance Defense Fund, a coalition of Christian lawyers and organizations that is representing the nurses, said the hospital had previously hired per-diem nurses or those who volunteered to assist with abortions to help perform them. Bowman said the hospital notified nurses in writing in September that its new policy would require same-day surgery unit nurses to assist in abortions. The nurses filed suit on Oct. 31, claiming the hospital was compelling them to undergo training that involved assisting in abortions, and indicated they could be subject to termination if they didn’t comply.

ADF Attorney Matt Bowman at National Review Online: As we all know from politics, and from our childhood, real trouble comes not so much from breaking the rules but from lying to cover it up. Yet that’s exactly what the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey is doing to cover up its illegal insistence that nurses assist in abortions, in violation of their religious and moral beliefs.

Several of the 12 nurses who recently filed suit to stop a New Jersey hospital from forcing them to help with abortions will participate in a press conference Monday at 1 p.m. EST. Joining the nurses will be U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) . . .

NJ.com: In a suit filed in July, weeks after the law went into effect, DePascale, who sits in Hudson County, contends the state Constitution specifically forbids judges’ and justices’ salaries from being reduced.

Christian News: The Alliance Defense Fund filed a lawsuit on behalf of 12 nurses who work for the federally funded facility. “The hospital passed a policy and put one of the nurses who did abortions in a supervisory position and started forcing nurses to assist in abortions out of the blue,” said legal counsel Matt Bowman. “It’s in complete violation of federal and state law – that says you can’t force people to assist abortions.”

ADF Allied Attorney Demetrios K. Stratis appears in the video.

NRL News Today: According to the Alliance Defense Fund, which is defending the twelve nurses, “The order also prohibits any acts of employment discrimination against the nurses until that matter is resolved.” The ADF filed suit Monday in U.S. District Court in New Jersey, on behalf of the nurses who “possess strongly held religious and moral beliefs that she may not participate in the process of an abortion that causes the death of a preborn child,” according to ADF Legal Counsel Matt Bowman.

Christian Post: “The hospital has been relentless in demanding that these nurses participate in abortion procedures,” Alliance Defense Fund attorney Matt Bowman told The Christian Post. “It’s indisputable that the hospital is seeking to break both federal and state laws. The sole purpose of passing laws was to protect people after Roe v. Wade became the law of the land.”

Catholic News Agency (CNA): “Pro-life nurses shouldn’t be forced to assist or train in services related to abortions. Federal and state law both prohibit this,” said Alliance Defense Fund attorney Matt Bowman.

OneNewsNow.com: Attorney Matt Bowman laments the fact that the hospital continues to push the issue, despite the federal restrictions. “These … nurses have encountered threats to their jobs at this hospital ever since a policy change required them to participate in the abortion cases, regardless of their religious and moral objections,” the attorney explains. “The court’s order prevents that until the November 18 hearing, but it is disturbing that the hospital may fight to continue violating laws that clearly protect conscience rights.”

A Superior Court judge let a lawsuit seeking marriage for same-sex couples in New Jersey proceed, but she sharply pared down the number of allegations in the case against the state.

WORLDmag.com : ADF legal counsel Matt Bowman said that the hospital’s directive was “flatly illegal.” The Christian Post also reports that the ADF is handling a similar case involving Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. This seems like a straightforward case of a hospital breaking the law, and perhaps there will be a happy ending. I’m grateful the ADF is on the case, and for the temporary restraining order

OneNewsNow.com (includes photo of Jonathan): Jonathan Scruggs is litigation staff counsel for ADF. “Christians shouldn’t be punished for expressing their beliefs, so the city’s done the right thing here in eliminating a law that allowed that to happen,” says the attorney.

WorldNetDaily: “These 12 nurses,” said ADF legal counsel Matt Bowman, “have encountered threats to their jobs at this hospital ever since a policy change required them to participate in the abortion cases regardless of their religious and moral objections. The court’s order prevents that until the Nov. 18 hearing, but it is disturbing that the hospital may fight to continue violating laws that clearly protect conscience rights.”

NRL News Today: The ADF filed suit in U.S. District Court in New Jersey, on behalf of the nurses who “possess strongly held religious and moral beliefs that she may not participate in the process of an abortion that causes the death of a preborn child,” according to ADF Legal Counsel Matt Bowman. “No less than 12 nurses have encountered threats to their jobs at this hospital ever since a policy change required them to participate in the abortions regardless of their religious objections,” he said. “That is flatly illegal.”

LifeNews.com: ADF Legal Counsel Matt Bowman told LifeNews . . . “Pro-life nurses shouldn’t be forced to assist or train in services related to abortions. Federal and state law both prohibit this,” he said. “These 12 nurses have encountered threats to their jobs at this hospital ever since a policy change required them to participate in the abortion cases regardless of their religious and moral objections. The court’s order prevents that until the Nov. 18 hearing, but it is disturbing that the hospital may fight to continue violating laws that clearly protect conscience rights.”

Examiner.com (includes photo of ADF Attorney Jon Scruggs): The Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) reports today that in Atlantic City you no longer have to fear the enforcement of an unconstitutional city ordinance that police had used to stop a man from engaging in religious speech on the city’s boardwalk.

Fox News: ADF officials contacted city officials in September after a police officer ordered Pat Donlevy to stop talking to people on the boardwalk about his religious beliefs.

A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order Thursday that prohibits a New Jersey hospital from forcing any of 12 nurses that sued the facility to participate in training or services related to abortions. The order, which the hospital agreed to, is in effect until the court decides whether to issue any additional order at a Nov. 18 hearing.

Matt Bowman at National Review Online: Before October 2011, Lorna Mendoza and her nurse colleagues at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey served patients every day in the same day surgery unit without any hint that the hospital’s respect for the nurses’ religious beliefs was about to come crashing down around them.

Crosswalk ReligionToday News Summaries: Matt Bowman of the Alliance Defense Fund, who will be representing the nurses in court, said “the right of pro-life nurses not to be forced to assist in abortions against their beliefs” should be defended.

Christian Examiner: Pro-life nurses shouldn’t be forced to assist in abortions against their beliefs,” said the Alliance Defense Fund attorney Matt Bowman. “No less than 12 nurses have encountered threats to their jobs at this hospital ever since a policy change required them to participate in the abortions regardless of their religious objections. That is flatly illegal.” ccording to ADF, federal law prohibits hospitals that receive certain federal funds from forcing employees to participate in abortions.

Atlantic City will no longer enforce a city ordinance that police used to stop a man from engaging in religious speech on the city’s boardwalk in June.

Charles Toutant at New Jersey Law Journal (subscription): The suit was filed by the Alliance Defense Fund of Scottsdale, Ariz., which describes itself as a Christian and legal policy organization and is opposed to abortion . . . The Alliance Defense Fund believes the UMDNJ case will end differently because it concerns a government-run hospital, unlike the private hospital in the New York case, according to its legal counsel, Matthew Bowman. Private entities aren’t subject to suit under 42 U.S.C. 1983, but government agencies are, says Bowman.

CBN.com: The Alliance Defense Fund is representing the litigants. Attorneys claim federal and state law protects their clients from being forced to take part in the procedure.

ProLifeBlogs: “Pro-life nurses shouldn’t be forced to assist in abortions against their beliefs,” said ADF Legal Counsel Matt Bowman. “No less than 12 nurses have encountered threats to their jobs at this hospital ever since a policy change required them to participate in the abortions regardless of their religious objections. That is flatly illegal.” . . . Demetrios K. Stratis, one of nearly 2,100 attorneys in the ADF alliance is local counsel in the case, Danquah v. University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. ADF is currently involved in a similar lawsuit in New York state court involving a nurse at Mt. Sinai Hospital.

Canada Free Press: “Pro-life nurses shouldn’t be forced to assist in abortions against their beliefs,” said ADF Legal Counsel Matt Bowman. “No less than 12 nurses have encountered threats to their jobs at this hospital ever since a policy change required them to participate in the abortions regardless of their religious objections. That is flatly illegal.”

NRL News Today: “Pro-life nurses shouldn’t be forced to assist in abortions against their beliefs,” said ADF Legal Counsel Matt Bowman. “No less than 12 nurses have encountered threats to their jobs at this hospital ever since a policy change required them to participate in the abortions regardless of their religious objections. That is flatly illegal.” The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in New Jersey, on behalf of the nurses who “possess strongly held religious and moral beliefs that she may not participate in the process of an abortion that causes the death of a preborn child,” Bowman said.

World Net Daily: “Pro-life nurses shouldn’t be forced to assist in abortions against their beliefs,” said Matt Bowman, legal counsel for the organization. “No [fewer] than 12 nurses have encountered threats to their jobs at this hospital ever since a policy change required them to participate in the abortions regardless of their religious objections. “That is flatly illegal,” he said.

Christian Post: “ADF is committed to defend the right of pro-life nurses not to be forced to assist in abortions against their beliefs,” said Matt Bowman of ADF on Tuesday. Bowman also said that throughout the country there are other legal challenges to hospitals requiring medical personnel to assist in abortions even if they hold religious objections. “ADF is currently litigating this case on behalf of a nurse at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York,” said Bowman, who added that his organization “successfully intervened on behalf of nursing applicants to a program at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee.”

LifeSiteNews.com: “Pro-life nurses shouldn’t be forced to assist in abortions against their beliefs,” said ADF Legal Counsel Matt Bowman. “No less than 12 nurses have encountered threats to their jobs at this hospital ever since a policy change required them to participate in the abortions regardless of their religious objections. That is flatly illegal.”

Twelve nurses represented by Alliance Defense Fund attorneys filed suit Monday against their employer, a hospital run by the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, for requiring them to participate in abortions. Federal and state law both protect them from being forced to do so.

NJ.com: The latest lawsuit that seeks to force New Jersey to recognize gay marriage will soon be going before a judge for the first time.

LifeNews.com: “Pro-life nurses shouldn’t be forced to assist in abortions against their beliefs,” Bowman told LifeNews. “No less than 12 nurses have encountered threats to their jobs at this hospital ever since a policy change required them to participate in the abortions regardless of their religious objections. That is flatly illegal.”

Fox News: “The hospital told the nurses they have no regard for their religious beliefs,” said Matthew Bowman, an attorney with the Alliance Defense Fund. “They were going to be assigned these abortions or they would be terminated.”

CBS News: A federal judge heard arguments Thursday on whether a central Missouri school district should be barred from using Internet filtering software that has prevented automatic access to some websites with information on gay, lesbian and transgender issues.

NJ.com: Despite a tongue-lashing last week from the governor, a Superior Court judge ruled today that state judges do not have to pay more for pensions and health plans while the state is appealing a ruling that declared the increases unconstitutional.