Trump admin investigating Michigan health system for firing Christian who opposed gender ideology

Trump admin investigating Michigan health system for firing Christian who opposed gender ideology

The Trump Department of Health and Human Services is investigating University of Michigan’s health system for allegedly firing a Christian worker who objected to transgender ideology and procedures.

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Matt
Lamb

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Thu Jun 26, 2025 - 11:51 am EDT

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ANN ARBOR, Michigan (LifeSiteNews) — University of Michigan’s health system is reportedly under federal investigation after it allegedly filed a physician’s assistant who opposed transgender ideology.

The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights announced the investigation on June 20 into “a major health system in Michigan based on allegations that an organizational health care provider within that system allegedly fired a medical professional for exercising her Federally protected rights of conscience.”

The investigation centers around allegations that the healthcare system violated the Church Amendments, which essentially prohibits recipients of federal healthcare funding from violating the religious freedom rights of employees. The Amendments particularly apply to employees who refuse to participate in either a “sterilization procedure” or “abortion.”

“The investigation will probe whether the health system has policies consistent with the Church Amendments for accommodating health care workers with religious beliefs or moral convictions that are contrary to certain procedures or certain health service programs,” Health and Human Services announced. “The investigation will also examine the specific circumstances pertaining to the medical professional’s allegations that she was fired from the organizational health provider for exercising her religious beliefs.”

While the department did not name the healthcare system, University of Michigan Health confirmed to a local National Public Radio affiliate it is under investigation. Furthermore, Michigan Health said the investigation stems from a lawsuit filed by Valerie Kloosterman, a physician’s assistant. The hospital system reportedly fired Kloosterman in 2021 “after she objected to using pronouns and potentially participating in transgender drugs and surgeries for gender-dysphoric patients,” according to The College Fix.

“We are examining the request and will cooperate fully,” Michigan Health toldMichigan Public Radio.

Kloosterman filed her lawsuit in 2022 with the help of First Liberty Institute. The hospital “attempted to compel Ms. Kloosterman to pledge, against her sincerely held religious convictions and her medical conscience, that she would speak biology-obscuring pronouns and make referrals for ‘gender transition’ drugs and procedures,” according to the original lawsuit. The firing happened despite a lack of any patients actually asking for these procedures.

First Liberty also alleges human resources attacked Kloosterman for her religious beliefs, calling her “evil” and a “liar,” according to the original complaint. Human resources also “mockingly told her that she could not take the Bible or her religious beliefs to work with her, and blamed her for gender dysphoria-related suicides.”

First Liberty expressed gratitude about the new investigation.

“We are pleased to learn that the Department of Health and Human Services is taking its responsibility seriously to enforce the federal statutes protecting religious health care providers,” attorney Kayla Toney told the media.

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“Our client Valerie Kloosterman was fired by University of Michigan Health because of her religious beliefs,” Toney stated. “We will continue to defend the rights of religious health care providers to abstain from participating in procedures that violate their consciences.”

The case is currently pending in the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) wants to see Christian healthcare professionals forced to commit abortions or transgender surgeries and opposes the investigation.

“You don’t want to see a situation where a health care provider might refuse to transport a patient because she’s in need of an emergency abortion procedure,” ACLU of Michigan attorney Jay Kaplan told Michigan Public Radio. “Or you don’t want to see a situation where a health care provider refuses to provide services to a transgender individual because they don’t believe that person has a gender identity different from what was assigned at birth.”

Kaplan went on to bemoan the possibility the federal government would move in to protect the religious liberties of employees.

“It’s part of this full-pronged attack against certain marginalized groups, in particular the transgender community,” Kaplan claimed. “Any way that they can make that more difficult, or have more of a say in terms of how hospitals are run, how university programs are run, it’s very clear this is part of a trajectory,” the attorney said.

The ACLU of Michigan previously tried to force Catholic hospitals to kill innocent preborn babies in the womb.

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