Attorney General James Wins Lawsuit Against Anti-Abortion Extremist Group

NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today released the following statement after a judge ruled that Red Rose Rescue, an anti-abortion group, repeatedly violated state and federal clinic access laws by invading reproductive health care clinics and interfering with access to care:

“This is a monumental victory for the rule of law, for reproductive freedom, and for every patient who has been harassed, intimidated, or blocked from accessing the health care they need. 

“The court has affirmed that Red Rose Rescue and its members flagrantly violated the law by invading clinics, obstructing clinic entrances, and disrupting essential medical services. Their actions were not peaceful protest but unlawful obstruction, and today’s ruling makes it clear that such conduct will not be tolerated in New York.

“Abortion is health care, and every person has the right to make their own reproductive choices without fear or interference. My office will continue to do everything in our power to protect patients, clinics, and providers. New York remains a safe haven for reproductive care, and those who threaten New Yorkers’ most basic right to access health care will be met with the full force of the law.”

Attorney General James sued Red Rose Rescue and its members in June 2023 for invading reproductive health care clinics and blocking patients’ access to care.

Today, in a ruling granting the Office of the Attorney General’s (OAG) motion for summary judgment, U.S. District Court Judge Kenneth M. Karas found that Red Rose Rescue’s members obstructed patients’ and providers’ access to clinics by trespassing, refusing to leave and forcing police to remove them, and by getting in patients’ way as they tried to walk towards or enter the clinic – intentionally delaying or preventing patients from receiving care. In the decision, the court affirmed that Red Rose Rescue had a coordinated strategy of invading clinics, blocking clinic entrances, refusing to cooperate with law enforcement, and using their arrests to stop the provision of abortions, in violation of the federal Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act and New York Clinic Access Act. Further proceedings will be scheduled, at the discretion of the court, to decide appropriate remedies for Red Rose Rescue’s unlawful conduct. 

Attorney General James is committed to enforcing all state and federal laws protecting reproductive health care clinic staff and patients. The FACE Act and the New York State Clinic Access Act give patients and staff both inside and outside clinics the right to be free from force, threats of force, or physical obstruction when trying to obtain or provide reproductive health care. More information on laws protecting access to reproductive health clinics can be found here. If you believe these laws have been violated, you can file a complaint with the Attorney General’s Civil Rights Bureau by calling 800-771-7755, emailing civil.rights@ag.ny.gov, or filing a complaint online. 

This matter is being handled by Senior Counsel Sandra Pullman, Assistant Attorney General Zoe Ridolfi-Starr, and Research Analyst Joseph Flores of the Civil Rights Bureau, Assistant Attorney General Julia Toce of the Watertown Regional Office, and Assistant Attorney General Heather McKay of the Rochester Regional Office, under the supervision of Civil Rights Bureau Chief Sandra Park and Deputy Bureau Chief Travis England. Additional assistance was provided by Special Counsel for Reproductive Justice Galen Leigh Sherwin of the Executive Division, Health Care Bureau Chief Darsana Srinivasan, and Detective Investigator Wilsonia Jean-Philippe of the Investigations Bureau. The Civil Rights Bureau and the Health Care Bureau are part of the Division for Social Justice, which is led by Chief Deputy Attorney General Meghan Faux. The Investigations Bureau is a part of the Division for Criminal Justice, which is led by Chief Deputy Attorney General José Maldonado. The Executive Division, Division for Social Justice, and Division for Criminal Justice are all overseen by First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy.