Louisiana Baptist College Sues Over Federal Birth Control Rule

A Baptist college in Louisiana is suing the federal government to block enforcement of a requirement that religious schools and hospitals provide free birth control in insurance for employees.

The federal lawsuit filed in Alexandria on behalf of Louisiana College in Pineville claims the school's religious freedoms are violated by new rules requiring contraception coverage.

Republican state lawmakers in some states have filed bills that would allow insurance companies to ignore the provision, which is part of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Labor Department Secretary Hilda Solis and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner are named as defendants in the Louisiana suit, filed by the Alliance Defense Fund. The Christian civil rights group said it plans a similar suit on behalf a Pennsylvania college.