Belmont Abbey Lawsuit Dismissed

A judge has dismissed Belmont Abbey College's lawsuit against the Obama administration regarding birth control. The Catholic college in Gaston County objects to the Affordable Care Act's mandate that employers cover contraception for female workers. The school says the law violates its religious freedoms. But the judge dismissed the case, because he says it is too early to know if Belmont Abbey will really be hurt. The Obama administration has said it will alter the law and shift the burden of contraceptive coverage to insurance companies rather than to religious institutions. But Kyle Duncan, an attorney representing the college, says that that is not enough. "We don't believe that the government's accommodation it's proposed is realistic," he says. "And it wouldn't remove any religious liberty problems anyway." Duncan says the school is weighing its options. It could appeal this decision. It could also re-file the lawsuit. Under the mandate, Belmont Abbey is not required to cover contraception for its female employees until January 2014.