Texas Anti-Abortion Group Recruits Men to Sue Over Partners’ Abortions

Texas Right to Life, a leading anti-abortion organization, is formulating new legal approaches to limit abortion access, which includes motivating men to take legal action against those who assisted their pregnant partners in obtaining abortions.

The organization plans on using Texas’ civil court system to pursue legal action against doctors, nonprofits, and private individuals who assist with abortions, explained John Seago, President of Texas Right to Life. One area of focus is wrongful death lawsuits, which argue that defendants are accountable for the death of the fetus.

“We are working to close loopholes in the law and making sure that all parties who violate it face consequences,” Seago stated. The organization intends to initiate its first lawsuits in early 2025.

The strategy is based on a precedent established in 2023 when a Texas man took legal action against his ex-wife’s friends for purportedly assisting her in obtaining abortion medication. The case was settled in 2024.

Advocates for abortion rights maintain that these lawsuits serve as a tactic of intimidation. Marc Hearron of the Center for Reproductive Rights stated, “They aim to instill fear in pregnant individuals, families, and health professionals regarding accessing or assisting with abortion care.”

Texas Right to Life is considering legal action against organizations that distribute abortion pills via mail. In 2023, medication abortions represented the predominant form of abortion in the U.S., with thousands of pills being sent monthly to states that have imposed bans.

Critics argue that these legal efforts could discourage reproductive health advocacy and further exclude Texans in need of abortion care, especially with constitutional challenges imminent regarding these restrictions.

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