Court Cases

The ACLU Foundation of Northern California filed a lawsuit against Dignity Health for the hospital chain’s use of religious directives to deny basic reproductive health care to its patients. The suit argues that withholding pregnancy-related care for reasons other than medical considerations is illegal in California.

The ACLU Foundation of Northern California has settled a lawsuit against the Alameda County Sheriff over a policy that required mandatory pregnancy testing at Alameda County jails.

The ACLU Foundation of Northern California filed suit against a public school district over abstinence-only-until-marriage sex education in it's high schools. The lawsuit charges that the district is violating California law and putting teens' health at risk by giving students misinformation and denying them critical instruction about condoms and contraception.

California’s Contraception Equity Act is a protective health measure that promotes important workers’ rights. No constitutional principle prohibits Catholic Charities’ employees from receiving the protection this law affords to millions of workers throughout the state. The Women’s Contraception Equity Act (“Contraception Equity Act”) requires employment health insurance policies that include prescription drug benefits to cover contraception. Insurance Code Section 10123.196; Health and Safety Code Section 1367.25. The Legislature enacted this workers’ health measure to address California’s high rate of unplanned pregnancy, which results in part from the failure of many health insurance plans to cover contraception.

The California Supreme Court rules that the state cannot manipulate poor women's reproductive choices by funding childbirth but not abortion.