{"id":9341,"date":"2019-08-28T10:44:36","date_gmt":"2019-08-28T17:44:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.consciencelaws.org\/?p=9341"},"modified":"2019-09-03T10:53:05","modified_gmt":"2019-09-03T17:53:05","slug":"ocr-issues-notice-of-violation-to-the-university-of-vermont-medical-center-after-it-unlawfully-forced-a-nurse-to-assist-in-abortion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.consciencelaws.org\/?p=9341","title":{"rendered":"OCR Issues Notice of Violation to the University of Vermont Medical Center After It Unlawfully Forced a Nurse to Assist in Abortion"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

News Release
For immediate release<\/p>\n\n\n\n

US Department of Health and Human Services<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Contact: HHS Press Office
202-690-6343
media@hhs.gov<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is announcing that, after a thorough investigation and prolonged attempts to resolve the matter, OCR has issued a Notice of Violation letter finding that the University of Vermont Medical Center (UVMMC) violated the Church Amendments (42 U.S.C. 300a-7) by forcing a nurse to assist in an elective abortion procedure over the nurse\u2019s conscience-based objections. OCR also found that UVMMC has discriminatory policies that assign or require employees to assist abortion procedures even after they have recorded their religious or moral objections to assisting in the performance of such abortions. OCR\u2019s Notice of Violation letter asks UVMMC to conform its policies to the Church Amendments and take other corrective action, or face potential action by the HHS component from which UVMMC has received federal funding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n On May 9, 2018, a nurse at UVMMC filed a conscience and religious discrimination complaint with OCR against UVMMC, a medical center in Burlington, Vermont that receives HHS funds, contending that the nurse was forced to assist an abortion in violation of the nurse\u2019s conscience rights. As part of its investigation, OCR contacted UVMMC repeatedly in a good faith effort to seek cooperation from UVMMC, but the hospital refused to conform its policies to federal conscience laws, provide all the documents requested by OCR, or produce witnesses for OCR interviews. Nevertheless, OCR interviewed multiple witnesses and gathered evidence concerning the allegations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n As a result of its investigation, OCR has specifically determined that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n