(April 30, 2024 – Rochester, New York) Heartbeat International, CompassCare, and a collective of pregnancy help organizations—represented by Thomas More Society—are suing to block imminent, ruinous legal action threatened by New York Attorney General Letitia James, against pro-life ministries that offer and/or promote Abortion Pill Reversal (APR). On April 30, Thomas More Society attorneys filed a verified complaint in the Supreme Court of New York against James, outlining how her threatened prosecution and intimidation of pregnancy help organizations violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution, the New York Constitution, and state civil rights law.  

On April 22, James’ office sent “Notice of Intention to Sue” threat letters to at least a dozen pregnancy help organizations that offer or share information about the APR protocol. James’ threat letter falsely accuses the targeted pregnancy help organizations of “repeated and persistent misleading statements and omissions.” In their filing today, Thomas More Society clearly lays out why the organizations’ communications about APR are truthful and, even more, fully protected under the First Amendment. The threat letters gave these pro-life ministries only five business days to explain why James should not sue them for false advertising—their lawsuit is the response to those notices.

Thomas More Society attorneys are requesting court intervention against the Attorney General’s threatened legal action, to safeguard the constitutional rights of Heartbeat International and the collective of pregnancy help organizations—many of which are part of Heartbeat International’s Abortion Pill Rescue® Network, or otherwise provide information about APR. At its core, James’ threatened litigation seeks to illegally silence Heartbeat International and its network member organizations from sharing their science-based, life-affirming message about the benefits, success, effectiveness, and safety of APR.
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DONATE: Thomas More Society is fighting to protect New York's pregnancy help ministries against Letitia James' threat of ruinous prosecution. To make a donation to help support our emergency lawsuit, click here.

‍Peter Breen, Thomas More Society Executive Vice President & Head of Litigation, said: “This is a political witch-hunt against small nonprofits that have selflessly served New York’s pregnant women and their children for over 50 years. Letitia James should be heralding these charities, not launching outrageously false claims against them under laws that don’t apply to their noncommercial speech. For decades, doctors have been prescribing supplemental progesterone for pregnant women at serious risk for miscarriage—but because this safe and long-established practice may actually reverse abortions, ideologues like Letitia James now want to squelch it. Ms. James’ Notices of Intention to Sue are a transparent attempt to harass small pro-life charities into silence, targeting her political opponents because of their beliefs, in flagrant violation of the First Amendment. We will fight back as long as it takes against Ms. James’ efforts to jeopardize the Christian and life-affirming missions of Heartbeat International, CompassCare, and all similar pro-life ministries in the State of New York.”

Jor-El Godsey, President of Heartbeat International, stated: “New York State laws protect abortionists and abortion on demand up until birth. Now they are targeting those who assist a woman in exercising her right to continue her own pregnancy. It is unconscionable to see the abortion industry and its paid-for politicians go so far as to insist she complete an abortion she no longer wants.”

Rev. Jim Harden, CEO of CompassCare, declared: “The actions of the New York Attorney General should be a major red flag for all Americans, wherever they stand in the abortion debate. Conspiring to violate the constitutional rights of the politically disfavored sets an ominous precedent and, if allowed to stand, will only serve to dismantle American rule of law.”

Kathy Jerman, Executive Director of New Hope Family Services & President of NYS Coalition for Life, added: “If we truly believe that women should have a choice in her pregnancy decision, then she should also have the choice to reconsider her abortion after taking the first chemical abortion pill. The NY Attorney General is falsely accusing our centers of sharing misinformation with our clients about this life-saving protocol. It is simply not true. Abortion Pill Reversal gives women a second chance to choose life.”

Read the Verified Complaint in Heartbeat International, et al. v. Letitia James, filed by Thomas More Society attorneys on behalf of Heartbeat International and its Abortion Pill Rescue® Network and clients, on April 30, 2024, in the Supreme Court of the State of New York – Monroe County, here.

Read a representative “Notice of Intention to Sue” letter dated April 22, 2024, sent from the State of New York Office of the Attorney General threatening litigation for alleged “repeated and persistent misleading statements and omissions in the advertising of the Abortion Pill Reversal protocol,” this one addressed to CompassCare Pregnancy Services, here.

Visit the Thomas More Society case page for documents, updates, and details, here.‍

DONATE: NY AG Letitia James is targeting pro-life pregnancy ministries and threatening to shut them down. Help support our emergency lawsuit to stop her in her tracks by clicking here.