Dick’s Sporting Goods and Duolingo speak out against SCOTUS’ Roe ruling
Duolingo and Dick's Sporting Goods, both based in the Pittsburgh area, have said they'll support employees who may have to travel for health care after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
Dick’s Sporting Goods and Duolingo, both based in the Pittsburgh area, are speaking out against the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and end federal abortion protections. One company said they’d offer travel stipends, while the other questioned its future in Pennsylvania if abortion rights were overturned.
Dick’s on Friday released a statement from Ed Stack, company chair, and Lauren Hobart, president and CEO, affirming the company’s support for employees and their family members if they must seek medical care outside their home state following the decision.
The company, headquartered just outside Pittsburgh in Coraopolis, Pa., said it “will provide up to $4,000 in travel expense reimbursement to travel to the nearest location where that care is legally available. This benefit will be provided to any teammate, spouse or dependent enrolled in our medical plan, along with one support person.”
The statement went on to acknowledge “that there are teammates and athletes who will not agree with this decision. However, we also recognize that decisions involving health and families are deeply personal and made with thoughtful consideration. We are making this decision so our teammates can access the same health care options, regardless or where they live, and choose what is best for them.”
Luis von Ahn, CEO and co-founder of the language-learning app Duolingo, spoke out against the ruling on Twitter. He said if Pennsylvania loses abortion protections in the upcoming midterm elections, the tech company and others like it “won’t be able to attract talent” in the state, adding “we’ll have to grow our offices elsewhere.”
In an emailed statement to The Inquirer, the company said: “At Duolingo, it is extremely important to us that all our employees have access to the full spectrum of reproductive care, including abortion services. We are updating our benefits to ensure every Duolingo employee in the United States can access reproductive healthcare, including reimbursement for any travel expenses necessary for accessing abortion services.”
Duolingo first launched in 2011, two years after von Ahn and Severin Hacker, one of his students at Carnegie Mellon University, first had the idea to build a language-learning service. The company has remained headquartered in Pittsburgh since.
Both Dick’s and Duolingo have joined a growing list of companies that have issued statements following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe. Most, including Amazon, Disney, and Starbucks, are offering reimbursement for employees who need to travel to receive health care.