On August 8, 2025, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas permanently enjoined HHS and EEOC from enforcing four regulatory mandates against the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute, United in Purpose, PublicSquare, and other Christian employers in Dr. James Dobson Family Institute v. Kennedy.
The challenged regulations, issued in the spring before the end of the Biden Administration, included: (1) EEOC’s Pregnant Workers Fairness Act rule requiring employers to accommodate abortions and fertility treatments; (2) HHS’ Affordable Care Act rule requiring employer health plans to cover abortion, gender-affirming care, and certain fertility treatments; (3) EEOC’s Title VII interpretation mandating coverage of gender-affirming care; and (4) EEOC harassment guidance treating refusal to use preferred pronouns, restrict bathroom access, or oppose abortion/gender transition as harassment.
Judge Reed O’Connor rejected the EEOC’s claim that religious exemptions would discriminate against women, noting the agency had already exempted smaller employers. He concluded, “the EEOC’s interest in eliminating discrimination looks more like a targeted attack against religious employers.”
Gary Bauer, JDFI’s Vice President of Public Policy, said, “We are grateful this federal court applied the Religious Freedom Restoration Act as intended—to protect the free exercise of religion.”
The ruling also protects Public Square, a commerce ecosystem with over 5 million registered consumers, and United in Purpose’s 65 employer members. It is unclear if the government will appeal.
This decision is notable: it is the first in the nation to provide relief from four federal regulations in a single opinion, the first to block the 2024 HHS abortion coverage mandate, and the second to provide relief from government speech codes on gender transition (the first was the Catholic Benefits Association, also represented by First & Fourteenth).
This marks the twelfth consecutive federal court victory by First & Fourteenth lawyers defending religious institutions’ freedom against mandates imposing abortion and sexual choices contrary to Christian values.
Read more here: JDFI Win