According to the original complaint, Andrea Anderson, a mother and authorized foster parent, obtained a prescription in January 2019 for Ella — otherwise known as the “morning-after pill” or emergency contraception — after her regular birth control failed. Her doctor sent the prescription to the McGregor Thrifty White pharmacy, but the on-call pharmacist, George Badeaux, told Anderson he would not be able to fill her prescription because of his “beliefs.” Badeaux “did not specify what his beliefs were or why they interfered with his ability to perform his job as a medical professional,” according to the complaint. Anderson eventually found a pharmacy willing to fill her prescription — after driving more than 100 miles round trip in a snowstorm, the complaint said. Badeaux’s attorney, Charles Shreffler, said in a statement that he and his client were “incredibly pleased with the jury’s decision.” “Medical professionals should be free to practice their profession according to their beliefs,” the statement said. “Mr. Badeaux cannot participate in any procedure that requires him to administer drugs that have the potential to end innocent human life in the womb. Every American should have the freedom to act according to his moral and religious beliefs. Doctors , pharmacists, and other physician providers are no different.” CNN has reached out to lawyers for Thrifty White Pharmacy for comment. Gender Justice, the advocacy group representing Anderson, had argued that denying Anderson service based on her reproductive health care needs was unlawful gender discrimination and violated the Minnesota Human Rights Act. The group said it will appeal the jury’s decision to the state Court of Appeals. “To be clear, the law in Minnesota prohibits discrimination based on sex, and that includes refusing to fill prescriptions for emergency contraception,” said Gender Justice Legal Director Jess Braverman. “The jury wasn’t deciding what the law was, they were deciding the facts of what happened here in this particular case. We will appeal this decision and we will not stop fighting until Minnesotans get the health care they need without interference from providers putting their personal beliefs above their legal and ethical obligations to their patients.” After a major pharmaceutical deal in 2017, the so-called morning-after pill has become the most widely used over-the-counter emergency contraception. Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, there are fears that some types of contraceptives will be available, and the demand for long-term birth control and emergency contraception, including the morning-after pill, has increased. CNN’s Kieth Allen also contributed to this story.
