A pair of crisis pregnancy centers in Worcester were vandalized by suspected abortion supporters early Thursday.
The attack, which included broken glass and graffiti, occurred hours after Massachusetts attorney general Maura Healey’s office put out an anti-crisis-pregnancy-center advisory to Bay Staters.
Healey also had an anti-crisis-pregnancy-center tweet posted at 11:44 a.m. on Wednesday, July 6. The attacks occurred at about 2:30 a.m. Thursday, July 7, a little less than 15 hours later.
Problem Pregnancy at 495 Pleasant Street and Clearway Clinic at 358 Shrewsbury Street were the targeted crisis pregnancy centers.
A crisis pregnancy center, also called a pregnancy resource center, is a non-profit organization that provides free products and services for pregnant women, which may include diapers, ultrasound, and counseling. It does not perform abortions or provide abortion referrals.
Here is the full statement on the attacks that the Worcester Police Department sent NewBostonPost by email:
On Thursday, July 7, 2022 at approximately 6:30 AM police were dispatched to 358 Shrewsbury Street for a report of multiple smashed windows. Officers observed that three glass doors and two windows were smashed. There were words spray painted on the sidewalk.
On July 7, 2022 at 8:40 AM Worcester Police were called to 495 Pleasant Street for a report of malicious mischief. Upon arrival, officers observed blue and yellow paint splash on the building and two windows. Officers also saw that words were spray painted on the sidewalk.
The incidents are under investigation. Police have limited suspect information at this time.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Worcester Police Detective Bureau 508-799-8651 or utilize the WPD Text a Tip – send an anonymous text to 274637 TIPWPD + your message or send an anonymous web based message at worcesterma.gov/police
Outside Problem Pregnancy, someone wrote “Jane’s Revenge” on the sidewalk; it’s a shadowy pro-abortion entity that has claimed credit for vandalizing crisis pregnancy centers around the country.
Kelly Wilcox, chief executive of Clearway Clinic, told supporters in an email message Thursday morning that the pro-life pregnancy center will not back down.
“The 2 perpetrators were caught on video using a hammer to smash our windows and doors,” Wilcox wrote. “They also spray painted Jane’s Revenge on the front step. Jane’s Revenge is the terrorist group that has been taking credit for vandalizing and firebombing churches and Christian missions across our nation since the Dobbs brief was leaked. These are cowardly acts of domestic terrorism that are an attempt to scare off our efforts to serve women and families. They will not succeed.”
Wilcox issued a full statement on the web site:
Our center experienced vandalism on Thursday, July 7, around 2:30 a.m. The damage included smashed glass for two doors and three windows. The entrance was also spray-painted with the words “Jane’s Revenge.”
We are deeply saddened that misunderstandings about what we do have led to pro-abortion extremists targeting our center. However, we are committed to continuing our mission of serving women in our community.
Clearway Clinic has been providing assistance to the Central and Western Massachusetts areas for nearly 22 years. During that time, we have served approximately 10,000 families. All women are welcome regardless of what they ultimately decide to do. We provide HIPAA compliant, compassionate care and a safe environment for women to review all their options. Our exit surveys bear this out with a client satisfaction rate of more than 98 percent.
We are a state-licensed medical clinic with a team of board-certified doctors and nurses that provides free healthcare to women in Central and Western Massachusetts. Our center is committed to 100 percent transparency in all marketing practices and patient interactions. We do not provide or refer for abortions and we are careful to disclose this fact before setting up any appointments. Patients must also sign an authorization of services form that clearly states this fact. We strive to build long-term, supportive relationships within our community which is only possible if we treat every person with the highest standard of care and excellence.
Women come to us for the abundance of services we do provide, which include: Pregnancy diagnosis, STI testing and treatment, prenatal health classes, post-abortion care, diapers, vitamins, baby clothing, strollers, furniture, and other materials. We also provide referrals for resources like maternity housing, adoption, food security, job training, and more.
We call on our state officials to publicly condemn the domestic terrorist attack against our organization. Violence against our center harms the women, babies, and families that rely on us for help in times of need. We are grateful for the generous donations and offers of support we have received from our neighbors, friends, and the community at large.
Problem Pregnancy could not immediately be reached for comment on Friday.
Pro-life organizations were quick to condemn the vandalism.
Massachusetts Citizens for Life president Myrna Maloney Flynn told supporters in an email message that crisis pregnancy centers are meant to help people — not harm them.
“Those who would love to see PRCs fail simply have no idea of the good they accomplish, or of the women, children and, yes, even men, who are rescued and offered something other than abortion at what might be the darkest time of their lives,” Flynn wrote.
Massachusetts Family Institute president Andrew Beckwith told supporters by email: “This violence is disturbing, but it should not be a surprise. Abortion itself is a horrific act of violence, and its proponents are seething with rage from their recent defeat at the Supreme Court.”
Healey’s office published what it called a “warning” about crisis pregnancy centers on Wednesday, July 6. It said in part:
WARNING: CPCs do NOT provide comprehensive reproductive healthcare. CPCs are organizations that seek to prevent people from accessing abortion care.
CPCs may appear to be reproductive health care clinics, but do NOT provide abortion care or abortion referrals, contraception, or other reproductive health care, despite what they may advertise.
Most CPCs are NOT licensed medical facilities.
CPCs are NOT typically staffed by licensed doctors or nurses, even though some people who work at CPCs may try to look the part, for example, by wearing a white coat.
Some CPCs offer ultrasounds performed by unlicensed personnel who are not qualified to provide that service, which may lead to inaccurate or misleading results about a pregnancy.
CPCs staffed by unlicensed personnel are NOT required to keep your medical records private.
Unlicensed CPCs are NOT required to follow codes of ethics or standards of care that govern healthcare professions because they are not healthcare providers.
CPCs often provide inaccurate and misleading information about abortion and the medical and mental health effects of abortion.
CPCs often mislead people about how far they are into their pregnancy.
CPCs often try to delay scheduling appointments to push people beyond the point at which they can obtain an abortion.
Healey’s office said that providing women with free baby clothes is a tactic used by crisis pregnancy centers and that “pregnant people” need to be made aware of them.
“We want all pregnant people seeking help to know that CPCs do not provide abortion care, and the information presented to you at these facilities about your options is often misleading and inaccurate,” Healey’s office said in a press release.
U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Cambridge) has also attacked crisis pregnancy centers in recent weeks.
“These are deceptive outfits that front for groups that are trying to harass or otherwise frighten people who are pregnant to keep them from seeking an abortion, and they do so under the cover of pretending to offer abortion services,” Warren said in a press conference Wednesday, June 29, according to Masslive.com.
“So I’d like to see us talk about how we might move more aggressively to make sure that someone doesn’t face that bait and switch that could be traumatic at a time that that person is already under stress,” Warren added.
Warren co-sponsored a bill in Congress to ban what it calls “deceptive advertising” by crisis pregnancy centers.
Healey’s office could not be reached for comment on Thursday or Friday. Nor could Warren’s office.
Clearway Clinic provided NewBostonPost with photos of the damage as well as of the vandals who committed the act:
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Photo courtesy of Clearway Clinic 
