The Russell Amendment will harm people like Coty, an exercise science professor who was forced to leave a Christian university when she became pregnant. Her supervisor told her she could only keep her job if she declared that the pregnancy was a mistake that would never happen again – or get married immediately.
Despite five years of teaching experience, stellar faculty reviews, and a promotion, Coty was fired. “It was a no-win situation,” she said. “I don’t feel comfortable with my employer making those decisions for me.”
Make sure no employer puts their employees in this position.
The Russell Amendment would jeopardize existing workplace non-discrimination protections that cover 28 million people – one-fifth of the country’s workforce.
It would allow organizations that receive federal grants or contracts, like Coty’s university, to use religious affiliation as an excuse to discriminate against a broad swath of our society – people in same-sex relationships, transgender people, single women using birth control, religious minorities, and more.
Together with Planned Parenthood, NARAL, Lambda Legal, CREDO, and several other partner organizations, ACLU is taking a stand to stop this government-sanctioned discrimination. If we collect enough signatures by the time Congress is back in session on November 14th, we can kill this poisonous amendment.
