Louisiana and Mississippi Attorneys General File Lawsuit Against EEOC Rule on Abortion Accommodations
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill and Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch have jointly filed a lawsuit to challenge a new rule by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) that they believe could enforce a national abortion policy. The complaint was filed in U.S. District Court in Lake Charles, with the aim of opposing a rule that would mandate employers to make accommodations for employees seeking abortions under the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act.
The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, a bipartisan bill, was designed to protect pregnant women in the workplace by providing reasonable accommodations related to pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions. Murrill and Fitch have sought an injunction to prevent the rule from taking effect, which is set to be implemented 60 days after being filed in the federal register. The rule aims to put into action the provisions of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act that was passed by Congress in 2022.
Murrill expressed concern that the EEOC was overstepping its boundaries by reinterpreting Congressional acts and emphasized the need to defend pregnant women against such overreach. In their complaint, the attorneys general argue that the rule violates the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which returned abortion policy decision-making to the states by overturning Roe v. Wade.
The rule, as outlined by Murrill and Fitch, would force employers in states with restricted access to abortion, such as Louisiana and Mississippi, to accommodate abortions or face legal consequences, including monetary penalties and court orders. Fitch criticized the Biden administration for allegedly interfering with common-sense workplace accommodations for pregnant women and accused them of attempting to impose a national abortion policy that undermines the will of the people and religious freedom.
The attorneys general are determined to challenge the EEOC rule and uphold the rights of employers and pregnant women in their respective states.
