Sandra (Mendoza) Rojas had worked as a Winnebago County public health nurse for 18 years before a new supervisor forced her to choose between her livelihood and her conscience in 2015.
Rojas, who lodged a formal complaint with the U.S. Department of Health last month, had filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against Winnebago County in 2016, but the County slowed down her suit by claiming it had a near-universal right to force Rojas into compliance with its new policy.
On Monday, Chief Judge Eugene Doherty tossed out Winnebago County’s claim to government immunity, clearing the way for Rojas' lawsuit to move forward. In a related case last summer, Judge Doherty granted a preliminary injunction to protect Rojas and other medical professionals from the state's attempt to force them into making direct abortion referrals.
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