The case is believed to be the first in the nation to go to trial alleging gender discrimination for refusing to provide birth control. However, a jury ordered pharmacist George Badeaux to pay Andrea Anderson of McGregor, Minn., $25,000 for emotional harm she suffered when he refused to fill her prescription for a morning-after pill in January 2019. And the case may not be over. Gender Justice, the advocacy group of St. Paul, who provided legal representation for Anderson, said he will file a motion asking the judge to vacate the verdict, which is allowed in civil cases. If that motion fails, the group said it plans to appeal to the Minnesota Court of Appeals. The six-member jury deliberated for more than 20 hours on Thursday and Friday before reaching its verdict. “We are incredibly pleased with the jury’s decision. Health professionals should be free to practice their profession according to their beliefs,” said Charles Shreffler, Badeaux’s attorney. “Mr. Badeaux cannot participate in any procedure that requires him to administer drugs that have the potential to end human life in the womb. Every American should have the freedom to act according to his moral and religious beliefs.” Badeaux testified that he believes the morning-after pill Anderson is seeking, a drug called Ella, has the potential to change the lining of a woman’s uterus and prevent a fertilized egg from implanting. In his view, this would end a life, he testified. Anderson’s attorneys presented expert testimony that Ella works by delaying ovulation when taken after unprotected sex. The expert called Badeaux’s interpretation “speculative and hypothetical”. The issue of contraception has moved to the center of the national political debate, with the US House of Representatives last week passing a bill that would guarantee the right to contraception under federal law. Jess Braverman, legal director for Gender Justice, praised the jury for its service, but said the “undisputed facts” of the case clearly showed Anderson was discriminated against because of her gender. “To be clear, the law in Minnesota prohibits discrimination based on sex, and that includes refusing to fill prescriptions for emergency contraception,” Braverman said. “We will appeal this decision and we will not stop fighting until Minnesotans get the health care they…