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BUFFALO, NY — A federal judge has issued a temporary restraining order preventing New York Attorney General Letitia James from censoring two pro-life pregnancy support organizations, allowing them to continue disseminating information about reversing the abortion pill while their court case plays out.

The Sept. 24, 2024 ruling protects Summit Life Outreach Center and Evergreen Association, which were represented by attorneys for the Thomas More Society. The organizations filed a lawsuit in federal court in August alleging that James' threats of prosecution and intimidation toward pregnancy support organizations violated their First and Fourteenth Amendment rights.

The lawsuit alleges that James' actions unconstitutionally suppressed public opinion regarding the safety and effectiveness of the Abortion Pill Reversal, a treatment that advocates say can reverse the effects of the first abortion pill if a woman changes her mind.

The court decision followed a similar ruling in National Institute of Family and Life Lawyers v. Jameswhich also addressed similar free speech issues. As a result, Summit and Evergreen are now allowed to continue promoting the reversal of the abortion pill without fear of legal consequences.

“This injunction is a critical victory for pregnancy support organizations in New York,” said Peter Breen, executive vice president and director of litigation for the Thomas More Society. “These small nonprofits that provide compassionate support to women and alternatives to abortion deserve to have their freedom of expression strengthened, not suppressed.”

Barbara Bidak, executive director of the Summit Life Outreach Center, expressed satisfaction with the ruling. “We are incredibly pleased that a federal judge has now made it clear that Attorney General Letitia James' legal attacks on our state's pro-life departments unconstitutionally restrict our First Amendment free speech rights to spread the life-saving message of abandoning abortion pills.”

The case continues in federal court as the Thomas More Society also represents other New York pro-life organizations in a separate state case where they face similar legal challenges from Attorney General James.