James Scott Pendergraft is a notorious late-term abortionist who has traveled around the country, leaving dead children in his wake. Pendergraft is willing to commit abortions after 24 weeks of pregnancy, when the preborn baby is viable and could survive outside of the womb. He has had babies born alive after abortion, who were then left to die. He’s also botched abortions, leaving at least one woman unable to have children for the rest of her life.
Pendergraft is not licensed to practice medicine in Maryland, and was arrested in 2015 in South Carolina in a drug bust. Throughout all of this, Pendergraft continued to operate four abortion facilities in Florida, despite his 2017 drug convictions. But the state of Florida is finally taking action.
The licenses of four abortion facilities have been revoked as a result of Pendergraft’s drug convictions. After pleading guilty, Pendergraft was disqualified from owning or operating any abortion facility. One facility, the Ocala Women’s Center, closed voluntarily in 2015. The EPOC Clinic closed voluntarily for renovations several months ago, but now will not be able to reopen.
Abortionist James Scott Pendergraft (Photo by American Life League via Flickr)
The Orlando Women’s Center is still open under dubious circumstances. Renamed the Center of Orlando for Women, it is now owned by Denise Williams, Pendergraft’s ex-wife and the mother of his children. The medical director there, Randall Whitney, also has a medical license under indefinite suspension, and he also has a history of patient abuse.
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The Fort Lauderdale Women’s Center had its license revoked in March, but a complaint has been filed alleging that the facility has continued to perform abortions illegally. A fifth facility, Women’s Center of Hyde Park, is being allowed to remain open, presumably because Pendergraft was able to transfer ownership to his ex-wife, Denise Williams, in 2010. The facilities which have remained open due to a change in ownership still retain the same staff and are still run by people close to Pendergraft, and continue to have problems following the law.
The Center of Orlando for Women is operating without a licensed medical director, and the Fort Lauderdale Women’s Center is allegedly operating illegally without a license. Both must be shut down, and Pendergraft’s inner circle prevented from preying on women and their babies — forever.
