Virtua Health’s policy of universally drug testing pregnant patients violates the state’s antidiscrimination law, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said in a lawsuit filed Thursday, claiming the nonprofit health system’s policy unfairly catapults families into a child-welfare investigation that can separate newborns from their parents.

"[W]hen pregnant patients receive a positive test result, Virtua will automatically report them to the Division of Child Protection and Permanency for possible child abuse or neglect—even when the positive test occurs only because the patient ate a poppy seed bagel,

The state Attorney General’s Office and the Division of Civil Rights has filed a lawsuit against a South Jersey health system, alleging its drug-testing policy unfairly targets pregnant women. The suit was filed against Virtua Health,

A South Jersey healthcare system was accused of discriminating against pregnant patients with a mandatory drug testing policy, authorities said. Attorney General Matthew Platkin has filed a lawsuit against Virtua Health,