OBU Joins Fight for Religious Liberty

September 20, 2013

Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) attorneys filed a federal lawsuit against the Obama administration Friday on behalf of four Christian universities in Oklahoma. The lawsuit is the latest to challenge the administration's mandate that forces employers, regardless of their religious or moral convictions, to provide insurance coverage for abortion-inducing drugs, sterilization, and contraception under threat of heavy penalties.

"We did not enter into this action lightly, but believe the federal government has given us no alternative," said OBU President David Whitlock. "The HHS mandate requires every employer, including Christian educational institutions like OBU, to provide insurance coverage for items we believe violate our religious beliefs. If we do not comply with the HHS mandate, we will face fines in the millions of dollars per year. We are joining a host of other Christian universities and employers who are fighting for our religious liberty as guaranteed in the First Amendment of the United States Constitution."

The OBU Board of Trustees gave approval Oct. 4, 2012, for the University to retain ADF in order to challenge the mandate, which violates the University's right to freedom of religion. OBU joins this lawsuit with co-plaintiffs, Southern Nazarene University, Oklahoma Wesleyan University and Mid-America Christian University.

Read the full news article on the Alliance Defending Freedom website.