Fathers are suing to stop their babies from being aborted

A new legal push is developing in the abortion fight – fathers filing lawsuits over abortions done without their knowledge or consent.

These suits claim harm from the loss of children and seek accountability from doctors, abortion pill distributors and even family members who helped with abortions, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Many of the cases are in Texas, where state law allows parents to sue for the wrongful death of an unborn child. Some lawsuits go after out-of-state providers who mail abortion pills into pro-life states – challenging “shield laws” in states such as California and New York that attempt to protect abortion providers from legal liability.

One such case involves Jerry Rodriguez of Houston.

His girlfriend’s mother and her estranged husband pressured her into taking abortion pills during two pregnancies although she wanted to carry both babies, he claims. The pills were allegedly ordered from a California doctor. Rodriguez is asking for more than $1 million in damages, and wants a judge to block the doctor from mailing any more pills. 

Another case involves a Texas man who said his partner secretly ordered abortion pills from Dr. Margaret Daley Carpenter in New York. Court papers say he only found out when his partner began hemorrhaging. He brought her to the hospital and later found the abortion drugs. 

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued Carpenter and won a $100,000 default judgment. New York has refused to enforce the ruling under its own laws. 

Pro-life leaders argue the lawsuits show fathers are ready to fight for their children. 

“We’re starting to have fathers who feel that they can speak out and speak up for their rights and for the rights of the child,” said Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America. 

Several of the cases involve Jonathan F. Mitchell, the former Texas solicitor general. He wrote the Texas Heartbeat Act, which lets private citizens file lawsuits against anyone who performs or helps with abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. 

Texas Right to Life is also supporting the effort. Its president, John Seago, said the group is using pro-life networks and crisis pregnancy centers to find men willing to file cases. 

“We have been trying to sound the alarm and recruit people to this fight,” Seago said. 

Such lawsuits could set a new precedent and give fathers more say in protecting the lives of their unborn children, according to supporters.