Life Advocacy Group Defeats Speech Injunction Attempt by Planned Parenthood Waste Disposal Company
Thomas More Society Delivers Created Equal Victory Against Stericycle's Corporate "Bullying"
WAUKEGAN, Ill., April 11, 2016 /
Christian Newswire/ -- The Thomas More Society, a national non-profit law firm, delivered a win for pro-life advocacy group Created Equal and its Executive Director, Mark Harrington, in the 19th Judicial Circuit Court in Lake County, Illinois, this morning. Stericycle, a multinational waste hauling company, and its CEO, Charles Alutto, sued Created Equal, Harrington and unnamed volunteers for their awareness campaign against Stericycle, which criticized Stericycle's role in "enabling" Planned Parenthood's work by disposing of the fetal remains of children aborted at Planned Parenthoods across the country. In their efforts to stifle Created Equal's message, Stericycle and its CEO sought a temporary restraining order against Created Equal and Harrington, seeking to prohibit them from using or publishing the name or likeness of Stericycle's CEO, along with other information.
The "David vs. Goliath" courtroom match-up teamed the small advocacy group and the Chicago-based pro-bono attorneys of the Thomas More Society against multibillion dollar, S&P 500-listed, publicly-traded Stericycle and its legal team headed by former United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Scott Lassar of Sidley Austin. Thomas More Society Special Counsel Peter Breen successfully argued the defense, attacking on First Amendment free speech grounds and against the claims by Stericycle's CEO that he was a victim of "false accusations" by Created Equal.
Judge Margaret Marcouiller heard the arguments in Stericycle, Inc., et al. v. Created Equal PAC, et al. and denied the motion for a temporary restraining order against the defendants' activities. Created Equal may now resume its awareness campaign against Stericycle's practices, and Thomas More Society attorneys will now seek to have the case dismissed entirely.
Stericycle had objected to Created Equal's Project Weak Link initiative, which takes its cue from published statements by abortion providers that they are "one incineration company away from being closed." A recent Ohio Attorney General investigation of Planned Parenthood confirmed that the nation's largest abortion provider depends on Stericycle for disposal of its aborted fetuses. Created Equal distributes informational literature that encourages the public to express their objections to Stericycle for its role enabling Planned Parenthood to continue performing abortions.
"This is a victory for free speech," stated Breen. "The Supreme Court has recognized that no business has the right to be 'free from public criticism of its practices,'" he explained. "When multinational companies like Stericycle engage in objectionable practices, citizens have a right to express their displeasure, deliver bad reviews, or ask others to speak out against the business. Abortion industry partners like Stericycle are not exempt from free speech and the First Amendment," said Breen.
Read Judge Marcouiller's decision in favor of Created Equal
here.
About the Thomas More Society
The Thomas More Society is a national not-for-profit law firm dedicated to restoring respect in law for life, family, and religious liberty. Headquartered in Chicago, the society fosters support for these causes by providing high quality pro bono legal services from local trial courts all the way up to the United States Supreme Court. Visit thomasmoresociety.org.
