Attorney General James Sues Militant Anti-Abortion Group for Invading Clinics and Blocking Access to Reproductive Health Care

 

Red Rose Rescue Violated Clinic Access Laws and Trespassed at Abortion Clinics on Long Island and in Westchester 

Lawsuit Seeks to Prohibit Red Rose Rescue from Coming Within 30 Feet Any Reproductive Health Care Facility in New York State

 New York Attorney General Letitia James today filed a lawsuit against members of Red Rose Rescue, an anti-abortion extremist group, for invading reproductive health care clinics, threatening staff and clinicians, and terrorizing patients. Red Rose Rescue and its members — including Christopher “Fidelis” Moscinski, Matthew Connolly, William Goodman, Laura Gies, and John Hinshaw — have repeatedly trespassed at abortion clinics and physically blocked access to reproductive health care services in an effort to stop clinics from operating. Red Rose Rescue members have interfered with clinics in Nassau and Westchester Counties by lying to clinicians in order to gain access to the facilities under false pretenses, physically occupying waiting rooms and refusing to leave, and barricading entrances. At each of the New York clinics, multiple patients’ appointments were delayed or missed due to Red Rose Rescue’s actions.

Obstructing or interfering with access to reproductive health care clinics, including abortion clinics, is illegal under the United States Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE Act) and the New York State Clinic Access Act. In the lawsuit filed today, Attorney General James seeks to prohibit Red Rose Rescue members from coming within 30 feet of any reproductive health care facility in New York state, in addition to civil penalties and damages.

“Red Rose Rescue has made it their mission to terrorize reproductive health care providers and the patients they serve,” said Attorney General James. “Only we have the right to make decisions about our own bodies — not anti-choice legislators, and not bigoted zealots. We will not allow Red Rose Rescue to harass and harangue New Yorkers with their outrageous militant tactics. Make no mistake: abortion is health care, and as New York’s Attorney General, I will continue to protect and defend everyone’s legal right to safely access health care.”

Red Rose Rescue is a radical anti-abortion group whose members seek to prevent abortions by trespassing into private medical facilities and clinics and refusing to leave until they are physically removed by law enforcement. Despite multiple convictions in New York and across the country, Red Rose Rescue continues to repeat their hateful, disruptive, and criminal misconduct, terrorizing reproductive health care providers and patients. In the past two years, Red Rose Rescue has delayed and interfered with the provision of reproductive health care services at three clinics in New York.

All Women’s Care in Manhasset, Nassau County

On April 24, 2021, Moscinski, Gies, Hinshaw, and members of Red Rose Rescue invaded All Women’s Care, a reproductive health services clinic. One member of the group pretended to be a patient seeking care in order to infiltrate the clinic. After checking in for her appointment, she went to a side entrance and opened it to let in additional members of Red Rose Rescue, who invaded the waiting room and lay on the ground screaming that they would not leave. When Moscinski entered, he was carrying a black duffle bag, which staff and patients feared held weapons. He pulled out his friar’s robes and changed in the waiting room. Clinic staff, concerned about safety, directed patients to leave and take cover in their cars. Red Rose Rescue disrupted operations at the clinic for two hours. When threatened with arrest, they went limp and fell to the ground, forcing police to carry them out of the clinic. On April 17, 2023, Hinshaw was sentenced to 30 days in jail and three years’ probation for criminal trespass and obstructing the police. Gies and Moscinski are currently serving jail sentences in Michigan and will be sentenced on June 30, 2023.

All Women’s Health in White Plains, Westchester County

On November 27, 2021, Moscinski, Goodman, Connolly, and members of Red Rose Rescue invaded All Women’s Health and Medical Services, a private reproductive health clinic. One member pretended to be a patient seeking an abortion and once admitted to the clinic, held the door open for other Red Rose Rescue members to rush inside, where they occupied the waiting room and threatened to stay until the facility stopped performing abortions, forcing patients to hide out in the hallways. The occupation lasted for two hours before they were carried out. On August 2, 2022, Moscinski, Goodman, and Connolly were each sentenced to three months in jail for criminal trespass.

Planned Parenthood in Hempstead, Nassau County

On July 7, 2022, Moscinski placed six industrial locks and chains on the front gates of a Planned Parenthood clinic, blocking the driveway into the parking lot and pedestrian access gates so that staff and patients could not enter. Neither the police nor the fire department could cut the locks with manual tools and ultimately resorted to a battery-operated saw. When the locks were finally removed, Moscinski laid down in the driveway to prevent cars from entering the facility and had to be physically removed and carried out by multiple police officers. Moscinski was convicted of criminal violation of the FACE Act and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 27, 2023.

With this lawsuit, Attorney General James seeks to protect New York reproductive health care facilities and their patients by prohibiting Red Rose Rescue, Moscinski, Connolly, Goodman, Gies, Hinshaw, and their associates from knowingly coming within 30 feet of any clinic in the state. Attorney General James is also seeking civil penalties and damages to be determined by the court.

This lawsuit is the latest action Attorney General James has taken to defend abortion access in New York and across the country. Following the Supreme Court’s decision to end Roe v. Wade, Attorney General James launched a pro bono legal hotline to provide legal support to patients and health care providers nationwide. Attorney General James has repeatedly led multi-state coalitions in submitting amicus briefs to combat efforts to roll back abortion rights, and to support protecting Americans’ access to safe, legal abortions. During former President Trump’s Administration, Attorney General James challenged attempts to restrict access to reproductive healthcare services, such as the Trump administration's Title X rule and submitted testimony urging passage of the Women’s Health Protection Act. Attorney General James has helped lead coalitions of attorneys general to defend abortion access in states including Arizona, Idaho, Indiana, Mississippi, and Texas. Attorney General James has supported state legislation to provide funds to abortion providers in New York and called for an amendment to the state constitution to ensure the right to an abortion.

Most recently, Attorney General James co-led a multistate coalition in filing an amicus brief in Texas v. Becerra, supporting the Biden Administration’s U.S. Department of Health and Human Service’s defense of access to emergency abortion care. Last month, Attorney General James led two separate multistate coalitions in filing two amicus briefs in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit arguing that separate decisions issued by the same district court judge in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas would harm access to mifepristone and threaten privacy protections over adolescents’ reproductive health care decisions.

“Planned Parenthood of Greater New York applauds New York Attorney General Letitia James for taking a stand against protestors outside our health centers that harass, threaten, and intimidate patients seeking health care,” said Dipal Shah, Executive Director and Chief External Affairs Officer, Planned Parenthood of Greater New York Action Fund. “Everyone deserves the ability to access the care they need without threat or fear. With this action, the Attorney General is standing up for New Yorkers’ right to access care with dignity. PPGNY is committed to fostering a safe environment that honors everyone’s right to access the full range of sexual and reproductive health care — which will always include abortion services. We are proud to continue to work with the Attorney General and lawmakers on long-term solutions to maintain safe and dignified access to our health centers, no matter what.”