An advocacy group suing the federal government in a bid to limit nationwide access to the abortion drug mifepristone has wrestled for a decade to conceal the influence its religious beliefs exert over its public policy pursuits. The doctor-focused organization, which calls itself the American College of Pediatricians (ACPeds), wants to ban abortion, affirmative care for transgender youth, and the parental rights of non-hetero couples
ACPeds has long described itself, publicly and in court, as a “secular, scientific medical association.” But hundreds of confidential records leaked last month raise serious doubts about the veracity of those claims. A cache of more than 10,000 files inadvertently exposed by the group’s website, as first reported by WIRED on Tuesday, shows that ACPeds’ board members have continuously struggled to contain their motives and have debated the “pros and cons” of openly declaring their religious foundation.
The American College of Pediatricians, which is not a school, is joined by three other conservative medical groups and four physicians in pursuing the ban on mifepristone. A US federal appeals court hearing the case in New Orleans will convene later this month to hear arguments on whether to reverse or uphold a district court ruling that imposed a nationwide stay of the Federal Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of mifepristone in April, effectively blocking access to the drug.
The US Supreme Court intervened to halt the order in mid-April after an emergency relief petition was filed by the FDA. The case is now back with the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals, which is arguably the nation’s most conservative court.
Following publication, ACPeds executive director Jill Simons said in a statement that the group's online presence had been hit with a sustained cyberattack since April 24. She did not specify what this entailed. The documents reported by WIRED were found on a Google Drive that was open to the public, a link to which was discovered on the group's website. WIRED emailed ACPeds about the drive last week, after which it promptly became private.
Simons said the organization had been subject to “bullying tactics that amount to a hate crime.” A "hate crime" is defined under federal law as a crime motivated by bias against race, religion, or sexual orientation, among other protected categories. It is not clear which protected category ACPeds is claiming to be a member of. WIRED has requested clarification.
Simons added that the group intends to “continue to promote the health and well-being of children by protecting the rights of born and preborn children, promoting biological integrity, and defending conscience rights for healthcare professionals.”
Board meeting minutes dated as far back as 2014 raise questions about the group's candor in its public portrayals of its work and the means by which it arrives at seemingly medical-based recommendations. The group has claimed on its website not to “inquire about or use an individual's religious or political identification as criteria for membership,” a statement aimed at assuaging concerns that its recommendations aren’t backed purely by medical science. Documents reviewed by WIRED, however, show that the group views “mainstream medicine, psychology, [and] academia” as top threats to its mission.