Anti-abortion center's lawsuit against Mass. officials gets tossed

"Local News Lawyers for Your Options Medical have vowed to appeal the dismissal. A federal judge sided with state officials Tuesday, agreeing that a Massachusetts public education campaign against crisis pregnancy centers did not violate an anti-abortion organization's constitutional rights. "The issues before the Court are straightforward," U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin opined, dismissing a 2024 lawsuit brought by Your Options Medical."

"The complaint accused officials of trampling YOM's religious, speech, and equal protection rights, pointing to a state-led awareness campaign that warned of potentially misleading practices and medical disinformation. But Sorokin ultimately tossed the organization's claims, even as he acknowledged the campaign's "scalding" language. The lawsuit, he found, "does not plausibly suggest that [state officials] have targeted YOM for actual or threatened enforcement action, let alone to stifle its protected speech or viewpoint.""

"In launching the public education campaign, Massachusetts officials sought to help consumers identify crisis pregnancy centers - also known as anti-abortion centers or pregnancy resource centers - and redirect them to "trusted" reproductive health providers. While anti-abortion centers often provide resources like pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, or counseling, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists warns that these facilities may "actually aim to dissuade people from accessing certain types of reproductive health care, including abortion care and even contraceptive options.""

Your Options Medical filed a 2024 lawsuit alleging that a Massachusetts public education campaign infringed on its religious, speech, and equal protection rights by warning about potentially misleading practices at crisis pregnancy centers. U.S. District Judge Leo T. Sorokin dismissed the complaint, concluding the claims did not plausibly show targeted enforcement or suppression of protected speech. Sorokin characterized the campaign's language as "scalding" but found the materials expressed the state's opinions and fell within constitutional government speech. The campaign aimed to help consumers identify crisis pregnancy centers and direct them to trusted reproductive health providers. YOM has vowed to appeal.

Read at Boston.com