Court: Pharmacist Illegally Refused To Sell Birth Control

Minnesota Public Radio reports:

The Minnesota Court of Appeals ruled Monday that an Aitkin County pharmacist’s refusal to give a woman emergency contraception in 2019 was illegal sex discrimination under the state’s human rights act.

In 2022, a jury in that county found that the Thrifty White pharmacist, George Badeaux, did not discriminate against Andrea Anderson when he declined to fill her prescription for sn emergency contraceptive pill, for “personal reasons.”

The appeals court ruling says a jury trial will be needed to figure out whether the pharmacy is liable, or if the pharmacist was acting on his own and is liable. Rory Gray, an attorney for Badeaux, said in an emailed statement that nobody should have to violate their conscience in the workplace.

Read the full article. Badaeux was represented by the Christian hate group Alliance Defending Freedom. His 2022 Fox News appearance is below.

Refusing emergency contraception is sex discrimination, Minnesota appeals court rules https://t.co/rL2tIZbXff

— Star Tribune (@StarTribune) March 19, 2024

Minnesota pharmacist George Badeaux was sued because of his “conscientious objection to dispensing a drug that can cause an abortion, an action that violates his religious beliefs.” Our allies @ADFLegal are representing him in court! Read more: https://t.co/zbk81JXGds

— Minnesota Family Council (@MNFamilyCouncil) December 20, 2023