Two nonprofit pregnancy resource centers (PRCs) have filed a lawsuit against New York Attorney General Letitia James after she targeted some of the state’s other PRCs for offering “abortion pill reversal” (APR) services.
Summit Life Outreach Center and The Evergreen Association are accusing James of “bullying,” and alleging that she is violating their First Amendment rights of free speech. In May, James sued 11 PRCs, saying they were using “false and misleading statements to advertise an unproven treatment they call ‘abortion pill reversal [APR].'” Though these two facilities were not mentioned in James’ lawsuit, they say her suit “has unconstitutionally chilled the speech of pregnancy help organizations across the state” with regard to APR.
“In the absence of injunctive relief, Plaintiffs will imminently suffer irreparable harm from James’ retaliatory and viewpoint-discriminatory enforcement of the laws in violation of the First Amendment because of Plaintiffs’ inability to communicate information about the safety and effectiveness of APR directly to the general public or indirectly by linking its website to scientific studies supporting the safety and effectiveness of APR,” their lawsuit reads.
The “abortion pill reversal” protocol is the administration of high doses of progesterone to outcompete the anti-progesterone effects of the mifepristone abortion pill. Live Action News has reported many times on the protocol, and on progesterone’s longtime use, safety, and efficacy. To date, over 5,000 children have reportedly been born to mothers who changed their minds after beginning the abortion pill process and were able to access APR.
The two organizations are being represented by the Thomas More Society, which is also representing some of the state’s other PRCs in a separate suit against James.
“Letitia James is a vocal abortion advocate who has made no attempt to hide her deeply entrenched animus against pregnancy help organizations. Ms. James is on a witch-hunt to silence our pro-life ministries and shut down their constitutionally protected speech about Abortion Pill Reversal,” said Peter Breen, Thomas More Society Executive Vice President & Head of Litigation.
“Shamefully, Ms. James seeks to steal away a woman’s choice to save her preborn child, should that pregnant woman seek to stop her in-progress chemical abortion, after taking the first abortion pill. Abortion Pill Reversal gives women a second chance to choose life—a life-saving option that Ms. James seems to think pregnant women are not entitled to choose. With this federal lawsuit, we are once again going on the offense to put an end to Ms. James’ attacks on New York’s life-affirming ministries.”
