Illinois county has to pay over $370k for firing nurse who refused to cooperate with abortion

Winnebago County must pay $370,000 in attorney fees to the team representing Catholic pediatric nurse Sandra Rojas, who refused to refer patients for contraceptives or abortions.

The Illinois county fired her in 2015. The 17th Judicial Circuit Court in Illinois ruled in November that the county violated the Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience Act when it fired her. She had worked for the county for 18 years.

Now the county must pay $374,104.60 to Rojas’ legal team from Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) and its allied attorneys as part of a February 16 decision from Judge Eugene Doherty. The court previously awarded Rojas $2,500 in damages.

ADF applauded the decision. “Medical professionals should never be forced to engage in or promote activities that violate their beliefs or convictions,” senior counsel Kevin Theriot said in a statement. “Sandra served as a nurse according to her conscience and religion — a right for medical providers that is protected under Illinois and federal law.”

The fee shows there is a financial punishment for the violation of someone’s conscience rights, Theriot said. “The court’s fee award sends a clear message that health care workers are free to practice medicine in a manner consistent with their conscience and religious beliefs, and there will be a steep penalty if the government fails to respect that legally protected freedom.”

ADF allied attorney Noel Sterett echoed the same sentiments. “Health care professionals should not be required to violate their conscience to keep their jobs,” he said. “We hope the outcome of this case will encourage other public and private health care employers to respect their employees’ rights of conscience.”….(Excerpt from LIFESITENEWS.COM)