Court Rules Washington Church Must Fund Abortions
The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that a Washington church can be forced to fund abortions.
In a 2-1 opinion filed on March 6, 2025, a three-judge panel on the Ninth Circuit ruled that Cedar Park Assembly of God church in Kirkland, Washington, did not have standing to challenge Washington’s Reproductive Parity Act.
The law, passed in 2018, requires all insurers that offer maternity coverage in employee health plans to also provide coverage for abortions.
Soon after the Parity Act took effect, Cedar Park’s health insurance provider – Kaiser Permanente – informed Cedar Park that it would no longer accommodate “abortion exclusions” for the church’s healthcare plan.
Kaiser conveyed to Cedar Park that “[u]pon review of [the Parity Act], fully insured health plans … that cover maternity care or services must cover substantially equivalent coverage for abortion.”
As a result, Cedar Park filed a lawsuit with the help of Alliance Defending Freedom, contending the Parity Act violates the First Amendment’s Free Exercise Clause because it requires the church to violate its religious beliefs.
You can watch a short video from the pastors of Cedar Park, explaining more about their case, below.
On March 6, the Ninth Circuit dismissed the case.
Judge Susan Graber, who authored the majority opinion, was joined by Judge Lucy Koh, nominees of former Presidents Bill Clinton and Joe Biden, respectively. Judge Consuelo Callahan, a nominee of former President George W. Bush, dissented from the court’s decision.
The panel’s majority reasoned that “Nothing in the challenged law prevents any insurance company, including Kaiser, from offering Plaintiffs a health plan that excludes direct coverage from abortion services.” Therefore, the court reasoned that Cedar Park’s injury was “not traceable to the Parity Act” and was due to an “independent business decision.”
However, as Judge Callahan pointed out in his dissent, Kaiser Permanente “did not make an ‘independent business decision’ to stop providing Cedar Park coverage; it stopped providing a health plan that excluded abortion due to the Parity Act.”
“Cedar Park finds itself in a catch-22: it either contracts with an insurer for a health plan that covers abortions (in violation of its religious belief) or it cancels its health plan (in violation of state and federal law),” Judge Callahan reasoned, adding,
Kristen Waggoner, President and CEO of Alliance Defending Freedom, issued a statement denouncing the court’s ruling.
“I just learned that the 9th Circuit has issued a shocking opinion in the case of a Washington church that is being forced to fund abortion,” Waggoner said.
You can read the rest of her statement below:
No church should ever be forced to fund abortion. Please pray for Cedar Park and their attorneys as they evaluate possible next steps.
The case is Cedar Park Assembly of God v. Myron Kreidler.
If you are experiencing an unexpected pregnancy and want to learn more about your options, visit My Choice Network.
Focus on the Family offers a free, one-time counseling consultation with a licensed or pastoral counselor. To request a counseling consultation, call 1-855-771-HELP (4357) or fill out our Counseling Consultation Request Form.
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Counseling Consultation & Referrals
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Dealing With Unplanned Pregnancy
Churches Win $1.4 Million Lawsuit Over California’s Abortion Coverage Mandate
Photo from Alliance Defending Freedom.
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