Michigan forcing pro-life groups to hire employees who support abortion: lawsuit
February 13, 2026
Two pro-life organizations have filed a lawsuit against the state of Michigan, over an anti-discrimination law they say will force them to hire employees who support abortion.
The Christian Post reports that Right to Life of Michigan and Pregnancy Resource Center filed the complaint last week in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan, Southern Division.
The lawsuit objects to a state employment law that defines sex discrimination as including the choice to have an abortion and also requires employers to cover abortions if they provide pregnancy coverage for employees.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, Michigan Department of Civil Rights Executive Director John E. Johnson, Jr., and members of the Michigan Civil Rights Commission have been named as defendants.
The text of the lawsuit reads, “Michigan’s law thus requires them to recruit and hire those with pro-abortion views, restricts these groups from explaining their pro-life requirements to applicants, and requires these groups to offer abortion coverage in their insurance plans because they generally offer insurance to their employees.”
The suit goes on to say, “The First Amendment protects Right to Life’s and PRC’s First Amendment freedoms to join with others to further a common cause and to refrain from participating in activities that contradict their beliefs. Michigan’s law infringes on these bedrock freedoms. For that reason, it is unconstitutional as applied here.”
According to the Christian Post, Right to Life and PRC are represented by the conservative legal nonprofit Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) which has successfully argued First Amendment cases before the U.S. Supreme Court.
ADF Senior Counsel Bryan Neihart said in a statement, “Pro-life groups should be free to share the message of hope and joy with women and families experiencing a difficult season through employees who share their common goal. Michigan’s law forces these organizations to contradict their beliefs and to employ staff who endorse abortion — a decision that harms women and ends innocent lives.”
Photo: top, Credit: Geoff Robins/AFP via Getty Images