Ave Maria University Sues White House Over Contraception Policy

An array of religious institutions is upset with President Barack Obama’s order that their employees receive free coverage for birth control. And at least one of those institutions is doing something about it, The Hill reports.

Ave Maria University, a small Catholic school located in Ave Maria, Fla., outside Naples, is suing the administration to overturn the rule. Ave Maria was founded by Tom Monaghan, who also founded Domino’s Pizza and once owned the Detroit Tigers. He has urged the town and university to ban contraceptives, abortion, and pornography.

Ave Maria University filed its lawsuit in a federal court in Florida. University President Jim Towey, who led the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives during the George W. Bush administration, said opposition to the White House policy will keep growing. “I just think it’s getting started now,” he told reporters.

Catholic institutions wanted to see the details of the administration’s revision of the rule before deciding on a course of action. Now that they’ve seen the changes, more institutions will apply political pressure for an overturn as well as seeking redress in the courts, Towey said.

The federal government has “bullied” religious institutions into a choice between breaking the law and violating their principles, he said.