Court Rules Two New York Pregnancy Help Organizations are Free to Promote Abortion Pill Reversal
Buffalo, New York – On September 24, 2024, a federal judge ruled
that two New York pregnancy help organizations are free to continue sharing
information about Abortion Pill Reversal and issued a preliminary injunction
blocking New York Attorney General Letitia James from silencing the
constitutionally protected speech of these pro-life ministries while their
lawsuit moves forward.
In August 2024, Thomas More
Society attorneys filed a federal lawsuit against Attorney General James on
behalf of Summit Life Outreach Center and The Evergreen Association, outlining
how James’ threats, prosecution, and intimidation of New York’s pregnancy help
organizations violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States
Constitution. The lawsuit argued that James’ targeting of pregnancy help
organizations with threats and prosecution unconstitutionally chills their
speech about the safety and efficacy of Abortion Pill Reversal.
The preliminary injunction order was agreed to by the attorney general’s
office based on the district court’s ruling in a related case, National Institute of Family and Life
Advocates v. James. The
court order protects Summit and Evergreen in their sharing of information about
Abortion Pill Reversal—a protocol that can reverse the effects of the first
abortion pill if a woman changes her mind. In a separate but related New York
state court case, Thomas More Society is representing Heartbeat International
and a collective of New York pro-life pregnancy help organizations that have
been sued by James for promoting Abortion Pill Reversal.
Peter
Breen, Thomas More Society Executive Vice President & Head of Litigation,
stated: “This
injunction marks a critical victory for New York’s pregnancy help organizations
and another blow to Letitia James’ unconstitutional witch-hunt against pro-life
ministries. These small nonprofits, which exist to compassionately serve women
and offer them alternatives to abortion, deserve to have their speech
elevated—not chilled. This court order makes clear Ms. James cannot censor
pro-life speech purely because she dislikes it. We are hopeful that this
injunction will buttress our case in New York state court, where we proudly
continue to defend the host of pregnancy help organizations unjustly targeted
and sued by Ms. James as part of her unconstitutional campaign to silence
pro-life ministries. These pro-life ministries have a constitutional right to
share information about Abortion Pill Reversal, and their message is saving
thousands of lives.”
Barbara
Bidak, Executive Director of Summit Life Outreach Center & Thomas More
Society client, reacted: “Our staff
and volunteers at Summit Life Outreach Center work tirelessly to provide
life-affirming options for women in need. We're incredibly pleased a federal
judge has now made clear that Attorney General Letitia James’ legal attacks on
our state's pro-life ministries unconstitutionally chills our First Amendment
right to share the lifesaving message of Abortion Pill Reversal—which gives
pregnant moms in the middle of a chemical abortion a second chance to choose
life. We are grateful to Thomas More Society for stepping in to defend our
rights and pressing this case in federal court.”
Read the
Order Staying Consolidated Case with Preliminary Injunction, issued September
24, 2024, in Summit Life Outreach Center,
et al. v. Letitia James, by U.S. District Court
Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr., in the U.S. District Court for the Western District
of New York, here.
Read background on Summit Life
Outreach Center, et al. v. Letitia James on the Thomas More Society
case page, here.
About
Thomas More Society
Thomas More Society is a national not-for-profit law firm dedicated to restoring respect in law for life, family, and freedom. Headquartered in Chicago and with offices across the country, Thomas More Society fosters support for these causes by providing high quality pro bono legal services from local trial courts all the way up to the United States Supreme Court. For more information, please visit thomasm
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