Schanzenbach v. Skeens and Bristol Regional Women’s Center

When local police refused to intervene, Erika Schanzenbach filed petitions for protection orders against Alethea Skeen, Rowan Skeen, Denise Skeen, and Cheryl Hanzlik, all of whom are uniformed “escorts” for the local abortion facility. Undisputed video evidence recorded by Erika and others showed these four individuals engaging in relentless physical and emotional abuse against Erika, including licking her arms, blaring police siren bullhorns in her face, following her to her vehicle hundreds of feet from the abortion facility, following her on the sidewalk and street outside the abortion facility, leaning against and kicking her pro-life signs, hurling obscene profanities and gestures in her face, and covering her with large, open umbrellas.

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Thomas More Society attorneys represented Erika at trial in Bristol, TN, in August 2020. Although the Trial Court verbally reprimanded the abortion escorts for their unacceptable conduct, it denied Erika’s petitions for protection orders. The judge mistakenly ruled that Erika did not fit the mold of a typical stalking victim since she still returns to pray and witness outside the abortion facility—despite her testimony that she does so because of a religious duty and always tries to avoid the respondents, including by standing on the other side of the street and trying to walk away whenever they approach. Thomas More Society has appealed this ruling to the Tennessee Court of Appeals, where the case is still pending.

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Thomas More Society filed a civil lawsuit on behalf of Erika against Alethea Skeen, Denise Skeen, and the abortion facility, seeking an injunction and damages for the above-mentioned conduct in October 2020. The civil lawsuit alleges that the Skeens committed a variety of torts against Erika, including assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, malicious harassment, and public nuisance. The lawsuit also names the abortion facility as a defendant for vicarious liability, since the abortion facility provides pink vests and supplies to the Skeens and other escorts and ostensibly condones their illegal conduct. The case is currently still in the discovery phase.