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The Catholic University of America (CUA) in Washington, DC, has joined the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) in a lawsuit aimed at the federal government’s proposed Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA). While the university is not completely against the Act, there are provisions that go against the teaching of the Catholic Church.
On the CUA website, the announcement begins by noting that the University supports many of the measures introduced by the Act. The school pledged to join the USCCB in providing greater flexibility for pregnant mothers in the workplace. University President Peter Kilpatrick noted that these include “paid time off, breaks, and modified work schedules.”
Kilpatrick explained that the Act initially only required schools to provide “reasonable accommodations to expectant mothers” such as these.
It was only after the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) passed a different regulation that CUA began to oppose the Act. The EEOC recently passed a regulation that expands the Act to include abortion "accommodations" by employers.
This regulation, CUA highlights, goes against assurances made by the Act’s policy makers that the PWFA would not include abortion. Furthermore, the University notes that it conflicts with its Catholic mission and ignores over 50,000 comments submitted by the public against implementing abortion regulations in the PWFA.
“The Catholic University of America community remains steadfast in our commitments to upholding the sanctity of life and supporting women and pregnant mothers in the workplace,” President Kilpatrick said. “We firmly reject any suggestion of tension between those two core commitments. We can – and we do – support women as they grow their families, and we believe it is possible to do so wholeheartedly while also supporting the dignity of life at all stages. Our mission to cultivate a culture of love, respect, and compassion demands nothing less.”
He pointed towards efforts made by CUA to support expectant mothers on campus as part of their Guadalupe Project. Furthermore, he explained that the new rules would present “substantial liability for employers who express and enforce life-affirming policies and practices in the workplace.”
Read more about the Guadalupe Project at CUA’s website.
