Credit: Maria Oswalt via Unsplash
CV NEWS FEED // A pro-life crisis pregnancy center in New York filed a lawsuit under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE) against two pro-abortion vandals last week, standing up against the Department of Justice for selectively dismissing pro-life complaints and legal cases.
CompassCare, a crisis pregnancy center with locations in Albany, Rochester, and Amherst, suffered numerous attacks from pro-abortion vandals since the leaked Dobbs v. Jackson memo in May 2022.
As attacks on pro-life centers escalated throughout the country following the leak, a pro-abortion terrorist group called Jane’s Revenge firebombed CompassCare’s Amherst facility in June 2022. At least two firefighters were injured in the ensuing fire, which also caused over $500,000 in damages and forced the facility to close for over three months.
The most recent attack on CompassCare was in March 2023, when vandals spray painted “LIARS” in red graffiti over the Amherst facility’s sign.
According to The Washington Times, CompassCare CEO James Harden decided to take legal action after the firebombing last year was met with almost no response from federal authorities.
“It is ridiculous that as pro-life citizens we are forced to do the job of both the FBI and DOJ,” Mr. Harden told The Washington Times. “The FBI refused to investigate so we hired private investigators. The DOJ refuses to indict, so we brought FACE charges.”
The lawsuit alleges that two women, Hannah Kamke and Jennifer Page, are among those responsible for the vandalism of the Amherst clinic. According to CompassCare’s complaint, Kamke pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct last month for the vandalism of the CompassCare sign, which cost over $2,500 in damages.
The lawsuit also says that Page is a self-described “abortion enthusiast” who has organized protests to physically block and threaten pro-life events. At one protest, Page and other pro-abortion advocates “hit a police officer with a bullhorn, punched [a] CompassCare supporter, placed nails and glass in a public walkway (injuring at least one person), and graffitied lewd, vulgar, threatening messages on the sidewalk.”
Both Page and Kamke have also used “illegal conduct intended to prevent or attempt women from obtaining reproductive healthcare services provided by CompassCare,” and have tried to threaten and intimidate staff and volunteers from providing pro-life resources.
Under the 1994 FACE Act, which was originally intended to protect abortion clinics, pro-life or pro-abortion advocates may not obstruct the entrance to a reproductive health care clinic or use force or threats to intimidate women seeking help or staff members.
However, CompassCare said in the complaint that the Department of Justice has selectively ignored attacks on pro-life clinics.
“Despite the numerous attacks against pro-life groups, there have been appallingly few prosecutions of the attackers. CompassCare is leading the growing list of pro-life FACE Act victims that are calling for action from law enforcement. CompassCare’s demand is simple: equal protection under the law,” the organization said in the complaint.The Washington Times reported that only four pro-abortion activists have been charged with FACE Act violations, even though over 88 attacks have been made on pro-life pregnancy centers since 2022.
