Ambulance attendant fired

ACLJ Files Lawsuit Against Illinois Ambulance Service

Elmhurst, Illinois, USA (2004)

ACLJ News Release: 7 May, 2004

. . .once Adamson confirmed that her assignment was to transport the patient for an elective abortion, she told her employer that transporting the patient to an abortion clinic violated her religious beliefs. After a second crew was sent to transport the patient, Adamson's supervisor immediately fired her . . .

(Chicago, IL) - The American Center for Law and Justice, which specializes in constitutional law, today filed a federal lawsuit against an ambulance company in Elmhurst, Illinois on behalf of an employee who was fired for following her religious beliefs and refusing to take part in an abortion procedure.

"This is a case where an employer fired an employee for acting in accordance with her religious beliefs by refusing to become a participant in an abortion," said Francis J. Manion, Senior Counsel of the ACLJ, which represents the former employee. "Our client became an EMT because she wanted to save lives, not take lives. Under both federal employment discrimination laws and Illinois state laws, employers cannot simply fire an employee who objects to participating in a medical procedure that is contrary to the employee's religious beliefs. Unfortunately, in this case the company acted in a manner that violated federal and state law and we are confident that the court will ultimately correct this injustice and move to safeguard her rights."

The ACLJ filed suit today in U.S. District Court in Chicago on behalf of Stephanie Adamson, who was employed by the Superior Ambulance Service, located in Elmhurst, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago.

Adamson was hired as an Emergency Medical Technician in 2003 and was responding to a non-emergency call in August 2003 to transport a patient from Mt. Sinai Hospital in Chicago to an abortion clinic near Cook County Hospital. According to the complaint, once Adamson confirmed that her assignment was to transport the patient for an elective abortion, she told her employer that transporting the patient to an abortion clinic violated her religious beliefs. After a second crew was sent to transport the patient, Adamson's supervisor immediately fired her following a brief telephone call on August 21, 2003.

As required by law, Adamson -- who lives in Odell, Illinois -- took her grievance first to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which issued her a Notice of Right to Sue in February 2004. The lawsuit contends that the ambulance company violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience Act. The suit requests a jury trial and is seeking damages for loss of income and benefits, as well as compensatory and punitive damages.

"The fact is that other arrangements were made to transport this patient to an abortion clinic and our client should not have been punished for exercising her sincerely-held religious beliefs," said Manion. "Under the circumstances of this case, there was simply no reason why Stephanie Adamson had to be the one who delivered this patient to the abortion clinic. The law is designed to protect - not punish - employees who hold religious beliefs. We are hopeful that this suit sends a strong message to employers that they must work to accommodate employees who hold religious beliefs rather than discriminate against them.

The American Center for Law and Justice, which specializes in constitutional law and pro-life litigation, is based in Washington, D.C.