(ETH) – A Maryland resident who is a woman that identifies as a man has reportedly filed a lawsuit against a Catholic hospital for canceling a scheduled hysterectomy due to its religious convictions. “An instrumentality of the state may not operate a Catholic hospital or deny medical care to transgender patients based on Catholic religious beliefs.
By invoking Catholic religious doctrine as a basis for canceling … Hammons’ medically necessary surgery, defendants violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment,” the lawsuit states. According to the report from Christian News Network, the complainant, who goes by the name Jesse Hammons, was scheduled to have a hysterectomy at the University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center in January. Hammons is “married” to Lura Groen, who leads Abiding Savior Lutheran Church in Columbia.
However, the hospital — a Roman Catholic facility that was acquired by the University of Maryland in 2012 while retaining its religious nature — canceled the surgery, citing adherence to the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services (ERDs). “Approximately 7–10 days before …
Hammons’ surgery was scheduled to take place, the University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center’s Senior Vice President for Medical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer, Gail Cunningham, ordered the surgery canceled. Dr. Cunningham told … Hammons’s surgeon that he could not perform … Hammons’ hysterectomy because the surgery conflicted with the hospital’s Catholic religious beliefs and the Catholic Directives,” the legal challenge outlines. FULL STORY
