Pharmacist Liable for Refusal to Fill Contraceptive Prescription

A Minnesota pharmacist violated the state anti-bias law’s business discrimination provision by intentionally refusing to fill a valid prescription for an emergency contraceptive, a state appeals court said.

The only “reasonable” reading of customer Andrea Anderson’s evidence was that George Badeaux intentionally refused to do business with her based on her perceived pregnancy, in violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act’s prohibition on sex discrimination, the Minnesota Court of Appeals said Monday. The trial judge should have granted Anderson judgment notwithstanding the verdict on this claim, it said.

Badeaux didn’t argue that the state law was unconstitutional as applied to ...