Filed Date: Dec. 10, 2013
Case Ongoing
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On December 10, 2013, the owner of a non-profit religious corporation filed this lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado under the First Amendment, Fifth Amendment Due Process Clause, Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) and the Administrative Procedure Act against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The plaintiff alleged the Affordable Care Act's requirement that employee health plans provide coverage of contraception violates his religious freedom. The plaintiff, represented by Alliance Defending Freedom and private counsel, asked the court to strike down the Affordable Care Act's (ACA) contraception insurance mandate, even with the accommodation for non-profit religious organizations. Specifically, the plaintiff sought both preliminary and permanent injunctions barring the government from enforcing the contraception insurance mandate against it.
On January 21, 2014, the plaintiff filed a motion for preliminary injunction on the grounds that the contraception insurance mandate substantially burdened the plaintiff's religious exercise. On April 17, 2014, the Court (Judge Robert E. Blackburn) granted the preliminary injunction. Dobson v. Sebelius, 38 F.Supp.3d 1245 (2014).
The federal government appealed to the Tenth Circuit, and on July 7, 2014, the Tenth Circuit agreed to the parties' request to hold the appeal in abeyance until the seven cases consolidated as Zubik v. Burwell were resolved by the Supreme Court.
Nearly two years later, on May 16, 2016, in Zubik, the Court issued a per curiam order remanding all seven cases to their respective Courts of Appeals; instructing the lower courts to give the parties time to come to agreement on an approach that "accommodates petitioners’ religious exercise while at the same time ensuring that women covered by petitioners’ health plans 'receive full and equal health coverage, including contraceptive coverage.'" 136 S.Ct 1557, 1560. The Court took no position on the merits of that case.
Two of the Zubik cases had come from the Tenth Circuit -- Little Sisters of the Poor Home for the Aged v. Sebelius and Southern Nazarene University v. Sebelius. Both were remanded to the Tenth Circuit as part of the Zubik decision; that judgment issued on June 17, 2016. In this case, on June 22, the U.S. defendants filed a status report requesting another 30 days to evaluate appropriate next steps in light of the Zubik order.
On September 27, 2016, Judge Blackburn ordered the original case closed administratively, as there was no knowing how long the appeal would continue to be abated. The Appellees, or the original Plaintiffs, filed a motion to dismiss the appeal on July 21, 2017. Judges Matheson and Bacharach denied the motion, and declared that the abatement would continue and that the parties would file status reports advising the court of the status of rulemaking proceedings and any other related events. On October 6, 2017 the Appellants, now representing the administration, filed a motion to dismiss the appeal. The order was granted without judicial action on October 23, 2017.
On June 19, 2018, the plaintiffs moved to reopen the case, again seeking permanent injunction and declaratory relief, and Judge Blackburn reopened the case.
On March 26, 2019 Judge Blackburn granted a permanent injunction to prohibit enforcement of the mandate by defendants against the plaintiffs and to prohibit defendants from assessing penalties against plaintiffs for their refusal to comply with the mandate. The court explained that with regard to the RFRA claim, the plaintiffs have been successful on the merits under RFRA and face potential irreparable harm unless an injunction is issued. Per the Declaratory Judgment Act, the court also declared that the rights of plaintiffs under RFRA are violated by enforcement of the mandate against plaintiffs in a way that (1) requires plaintiffs to include coverage of abortifacients in the group health plan for employees; (2) requires plaintiffs to execute and deliver the exemption form; or (3) imposes a penalty on the plaintiffs due to their failure to include coverage of abortifacients in its group health plan or to execute and deliver the exemption form. The court declined to rule on anything other that the RFRA claim.
On April 16, 2019, the plaintiffs submitted their next status report and moved for dismissal with prejudice of the remaining non-RFRA claims and entry of final judgment on the RFRA claim. They also asked for additional time to submit a motion for attorney’s fees. Defendants did not oppose the motion. On March 13, 2020, Judge Blackburn granted plaintiffs’ motions and entered the Final Judgment. Plaintiffs notified the court on March 24 that the parties had reached a resolution and settlement on attorneys’ fees, but the notice does not specify the amount. As of May 2020, the case is ongoing.
Summary Authors
Mallory Jones (3/11/2014)
Beth Richardson (6/5/2015)
Kate Craddock (7/24/2016)
Rachel Carpman (11/19/2018)
Claire Shimberg (5/7/2020)
For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/5483925/parties/dobson-v-sebelius/
Abdoveis, Elaine M. (Colorado)
Abreu, Jean C. (Colorado)
Adams, Cheryl L. (Colorado)
Abdo, Alex (Colorado)
Abdo, Alexander Abraham (Colorado)
Abdoveis, Elaine M. (Colorado)
Aden, Steven H. (District of Columbia)
Amin, Avni Jayprakash (Colorado)
Andrapalliyal, Vinita (Colorado)
Barefield, Karen M. (Colorado)
Baylor, Gregory S. (District of Columbia)
Berwick, Benjamin Leon (Colorado)
Botts, Benjamin Richard (Colorado)
Bowles, Allison Leah (Colorado)
Bowman, Matthew S. (District of Columbia)
Buchanan, Patricia L. (Colorado)
Cafferkey, Maureen M. (Colorado)
Cargo, Shane Patrick (Colorado)
Chastain, Lydia Jones (Colorado)
Collins, Christine A (Colorado)
Doherty, Niamh Eileen (Colorado)
Ellis, David Maurice (Colorado)
Epstein, Matthew R. (Colorado)
Flores, Kim Prichard (Colorado)
Flores, Jessica Maria (Colorado)
Fromm, Theresa Schneider (Colorado)
Garcia, Norman Emmanuel (Colorado)
Goldberg, Stacy Melissa (Colorado)
Goldstein, Elena S. (Colorado)
Harrell, Kristina T. (Colorado)
Hartman, Michael Ross (Colorado)
Henderson, Nathan Curtis (Colorado)
Hennefeld, Daniel M (Colorado)
Hoffmeister, Jonathan J. (Colorado)
Hotz, Jacqueline M. (Colorado)
Hughes, Aileen Bell (Colorado)
Jafek, Timothy Bart (Colorado)
Johnson, Jennifer J (Colorado)
Jr, Charles William (Colorado)
Kasameyer, Katherine M. (Colorado)
Katz, Andrew Michael (Colorado)
Kaufman, Bryan Ross (Colorado)
Keen, Stanley Edward (Colorado)
Kniffin, Eric N (District of Columbia)
Lake, Joseph Michael (Colorado)
LeMar, Harold William (Colorado)
Lewis, Robert Milton (Colorado)
Llewellyn, Nicholas P. (Colorado)
Luby, Andrea Christensen (Colorado)
Ludka, Lawrence McKinley (Colorado)
Maynor-Faulcon, Mercedes C. (Colorado)
McCracken, John Matthew (Colorado)
McLeod, Tyler Philip (Colorado)
Mock, Jasand Patric (Colorado)
Moukalif, Monica Renee (Colorado)
Nabhan, Colleen Backus (Colorado)
Nardecchia, Natalie A (Colorado)
Norton, Michael Jeffrey (Colorado)
Nussbaum, L. Martin (Colorado)
Parry, Robin Springberg (Colorado)
Perlman, Leslie Canfield (Colorado)
Pharo, William George (Colorado)
Rodenhausen, Patricia Manning (Colorado)
Rogoff, Jeffrey Scott (Colorado)
Rothfeder, Lindsey Ann (Colorado)
Rutenberg, David J. (Colorado)
Scheff, Matthew Michael (Colorado)
Schloss, Michael Alan (Colorado)
Schmidt, Brian Joseph (Colorado)
Schultz, Andrew James (Colorado)
Silverman, Stephen Aaron (Colorado)
Sinesi, Dominique V. (Colorado)
Sta.Ana, Jennifer L. (Colorado)
Steffenson, Dane L. (Colorado)
Sullivan, Matthew Michael (Colorado)
Truman, Alicia A.W. (Colorado)
Waterman, Brandon Matthew (Colorado)
Abdo, Alexander Abraham (Colorado)
Amanat, Farzin Franklin (Colorado)
Amezquita, Hope Renee (Colorado)
Arterburn, Jennifer (Colorado)
AUSA, Joel McElvain (Colorado)
AUSA, Julie Saltman (Colorado)
Bagley, Nicholas J. (Colorado)
Bamberger, Michael A. (Colorado)
Bannon, Alicia Lorraine (Colorado)
Barbero, Megan (District of Columbia)
Batsides, Demetrios Christos (Colorado)
Beckenhauer, Eric B. (Colorado)
Bennett, Michelle Renee (District of Columbia)
Bentley, Elizabeth G. (Colorado)
Bloch-Wehba, Hannah (Colorado)
Block, Joshua Abraham (Colorado)
Bressler, Steven Y. (Colorado)
Bricker, Matthew J. (Colorado)
Brock, Chad Michael (Colorado)
Butler, Paul Timothy (Colorado)
Cagle, Matthew Thomas (Colorado)
Castelli, Thomas H. (Colorado)
Chaifetz, Samantha L. (Colorado)
Cherry-DOJ, Mary M. (Colorado)
Choudhury, Nusrat Jahan (Colorado)
Clark, Melanca Durham (Colorado)
Clark, Andrew Edward (Colorado)
Colangelo-Bryan, Joshua Nicholas (Colorado)
Coll-Very, Alexis Susan (Colorado)
Condon, Jennifer Brooke (Colorado)
Connolly, Christopher Kendrick (Colorado)
Crane-Hirsch, Daniel Kadane (Colorado)
Crump, Catherine Newby (Colorado)
Delery, Stuart F. (District of Columbia)
Diakun, Anna Natalia (Colorado)
Dunn, Christopher T (Colorado)
Eisenberg, Arthur Nelson (Colorado)
Farber, Molissa Heather (Colorado)
Gorski, Ashley Marie (Colorado)
Gov, Adam Grogg-Federal (Colorado)
Gov, Michelle Renee (Colorado)
Grogg, Adam Anderson (Colorado)
Guadagnino, Charles A (Colorado)
Gutierrez, Sandra Ema (Colorado)
Haddad, Richard Inad (Colorado)
Hafetz, Jonathan L. (Colorado)
Hall, Christopher R. (Colorado)
Hauss, Brian Matthew (Colorado)
Hearn, Marcellene Elizabeth (Colorado)
Hikida, Katherine M (Colorado)
Hofmann, Marcia Clare (Colorado)
Hull, Joanna Berney (Colorado)
Humphreys, Bradley Philip (Colorado)
Inactive, Ann Elizabeth (Colorado)
Inactive, Michael A (Colorado)
Jed, Adam C. (District of Columbia)
Kell, Gerald Cooper (Colorado)
Kingsley, Benjamin S. (Colorado)
Kirk-Kazhe, Christina V. (Colorado)
Klein, Alisa B. (District of Columbia)
Kolbi-Molinas, Alexa Rebecca (Colorado)
Lambert, Marissa Paige (Colorado)
Lantka, Peter Michael (Colorado)
Lawrence, Matthew JB (Colorado)
Leonardo-Beckmann, Diane C. (Colorado)
Lewis, Megan Elizabeth (Colorado)
Lieber, Sheila M. (District of Columbia)
Lievense, Andrew J. (Colorado)
Lindquist, Susan J. (Colorado)
London, Ronald Gary (Colorado)
Lustberg, Lawrence S. (Colorado)
Mahoney, Kathleen Anne (Colorado)
Manes, Jonathan Matthew (Colorado)
Mantoan, Kathryn Grzenczyk (Colorado)
Marshall, Randall C. (Colorado)
Mathews, Patrick Casey (Colorado)
Mehta, Leslie Chambers (Colorado)
Merriweather-Tucker, Brooke A. (Colorado)
Moore, Christina Bahr (Colorado)
Navarro, Heather B. (Colorado)
Nemeroff, Patrick George (District of Columbia)
Newell, Jennifer Chang (Colorado)
O'Connor, Charles Michael (Colorado)
Opsahl, Kurt Bradford (Colorado)
PHV, Lindsay Harrison (Colorado)
PHV, Elliot Tarloff (Colorado)
Pollack, Michael C. (Colorado)
Ricketts, Jennifer (District of Columbia)
Robinson, Stuart Justin (Colorado)
Rocah, David Robert (Colorado)
Rosberger, Richard Edward (Colorado)
Rothert, Anthony E. (Colorado)
Ruzicka, Eric Andrew (Colorado)
Saltman, Julie Shana (Colorado)
Salzman, Joshua Marc (District of Columbia)
Schumacher, Robert W. (Colorado)
Schwartztol, Laurence Michael (Colorado)
Services, United States (Colorado)
Shaitelman, Kenneth L (Colorado)
Spurlock, Matthew Douglas (Colorado)
Steinberg, Michael J. (Colorado)
Stern, Marc (District of Columbia)
Sun, Christine Patricia (Colorado)
Sweren-Becker, Eliza (Colorado)
Toomey, Patrick Christopher (Colorado)
Torrance, Benjamin Henry (Colorado)
Union, American Civil (Colorado)
Watson, Elizabeth K (Colorado)
Weaver, Heather Lynn (Colorado)
Weckenmann, Rose Michele (Colorado)
Weinbeck, Michael P (Colorado)
Wessler, Nathan Freed (Colorado)
Wishnie, Michael J. (Colorado)
Youngs, Stuart Andrew (Colorado)
Altmeyer, Helen Campbell (Colorado)
AUSA, Christopher R (Colorado)
Chaimov, Gregory A. (Colorado)
Cordaro, Joseph Nicholas (Colorado)
Cranford, Margaret Terry (Colorado)
Cummings, Julie A.K. (Colorado)
Dodson, Joe Michael (Colorado)
DOJ, Michelle Bennett (Colorado)
Edwards, Karla Jackson (Colorado)
Gillingham, James Garland (Colorado)
Goldsmith, Aaron Steven (Colorado)
Goldstein, Nathan P. (Colorado)
Hambrick, Jonathan Holland (Colorado)
Harwood, Ann Elizabeth (Colorado)
Kopplin, Rebecca Michelle (Colorado)
Kruse, Elizabeth Marie (Colorado)
McEckron, Brooke D. (Colorado)
Oswald, Craig Arthur (Colorado)
Parker, Andrea Hedrick (Colorado)
Pomeroy, Richard L. (Colorado)
Roberts, Charles E. (Colorado)
Singh, Rukhsanah L. (Colorado)
Smith, Mary Patricia (Colorado)
Snell, Kevin Matthew (Colorado)
Stark, Benjamin Andrew (Colorado)
Taffe, Christopher V. (Colorado)
Tarczynska, Dominika Natalia (Colorado)
Theis, John Kenneth (Colorado)
Wofford, Lindsay A. (Colorado)
See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/5483925/dobson-v-sebelius/
Last updated April 20, 2025, 12:41 p.m.
State / Territory: Colorado
Case Type(s):
Special Collection(s):
Contraception Insurance Mandate
Key Dates
Filing Date: Dec. 10, 2013
Case Ongoing: Yes
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
A non-profit corporation who believes the ACA's contraception insurance mandate, even with the accommodation for religious organizations, violates the founder's religious freedom.
Plaintiff Type(s):
Non-profit religious organization
Non-profit NON-religious organization
Public Interest Lawyer: Yes
Filed Pro Se: No
Class Action Sought: No
Class Action Outcome: Not sought
Defendants
U.S. Department of Labor, Federal
U.S. Department of the Treasury, Federal
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Federal
Defendant Type(s):
Facility Type(s):
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Religious Freedom Rest. Act/Religious Land Use and Inst. Persons Act (RFRA/RLUIPA)
Administrative Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C. §§ 551 et seq.
Declaratory Judgment Act, 28 U.S.C. § 2201
Constitutional Clause(s):
Available Documents:
Injunctive (or Injunctive-like) Relief
Outcome
Prevailing Party: Plaintiff
Nature of Relief:
Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement
Preliminary injunction / Temp. restraining order
Source of Relief:
Content of Injunction:
Order Duration: 2015 - None
Issues
Discrimination Basis:
Reproductive rights: