A pro-life activist who has shown up numerous times at a Bristol, Tennessee, abortion industry location, only to be confronted by “obscene harassment, stalking, and harmful assault” by a clinic “escort,” is asking an appeals court for a protection order.
The case is being handled by the Thomas More Society on behalf of Erika Schanzenbach.
See a video showing some of the encounters with the pro-abortion activists (Be forewarned about offensive language by the pro-abortion activists):
The legal team said Schanzenbach is asking the Tennessee Court of Appeals for a protection order after a lower court declined.
Her complaints are against Alethea Skeen, who has claimed her confrontations, physical and verbal, against Schanzenbach all are protected by the First Amendment.
“Skeen indicated to the court that her attacks against Schanzenbach were justifiable because the pro-life advocate’s signs ‘could be offensive and disturbing to patients of the clinic,'” the legal team said.
But it explains the First Amendment includes no right to harass someone “simply because some might consider their speech offensive.”
The fight has erupted over Skeen’s actions at the Bristol Regional Women’s Center abortion business, where Schanzenback is a peaceful pro-life advocate who offers information on abortion alternatives.
While Skeen says she repeatedly has told Schanzenbach “to stop yelling at the patients, stop bothering the patients, and to go home,” the video reveals there’s more.
“The evidence shows that Alethea repeatedly touched Erika’s hands and arms, blew into her ear, followed her back to her vehicle 500 feet away from the clinic, shadowed her step for step outside the clinic, and more,” the legal team argued.
“One of the illegal incidents perpetuated by Skeen occurred when she – unbelievably – licked Erika’s arm,” said Thomas More Society Counsel Michael McHale. “It’s gross, unsanitary, and unquestionably harassing behavior. And that doesn’t include blaring damaging noise at her face and ears and making numerous other repeated unconsented and invasive physical contacts with Erika despite Erika’s emphatic requests that she stop.”
He said stalking is a crime in Tennessee and the law “plainly states that any victim of stalking can obtain a protection order against the perpetrator, regardless of the relationship between the parties.”
The lawyers said the lower court incorrectly determined the dispute was like two opposing fans bases that both are passionate.
Schanzenbach also has brought three additional cases against other “escorts” who behaved similarly to Skeen.
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