In the wake of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (2022), as reproductive rights in the United States is increasingly under threat, and in the wake of President Biden’s withdrawal from the presidential campaign, Catherine Lederer-Plaskett, a Fieldston parent of three alums, stands as a determined advocate for abortion rights. Lederer-Plaskett is the President and Chair of Westchester Coalition for Legal Abortion (WCLA) – Choice Matters, the nation’s oldest ongoing pro-choice advocacy group. She has expanded the organization’s influence in the fight for fair health policies and legislation.
Lederer-Plaskett’s work included helping to pass the Reproductive Health Act in New York State on January 22, 2019, which expanded access to reproductive health care and codified the protections of Roe v. Wade (1973) into state law. She later collaborated with the County Attorney’s Office to draft the Westchester 2022 Safe Clinic Access Legislation – the only one of its kind nationally that protects both the inside and outside of reproductive healthcare facilities. Lederer-Plaskett went on to found the Center for Analysis and Tracking of Clinic Harassers (CATCH), an initiative working with law enforcement to protect clinics and prosecute attackers.
Lederer-Plaskett underscored the importance of the upcoming presidential election when thinking about the future of women’s health rights. She argued that we need a unified Democratic government to safeguard reproductive rights and influence the current 6-3 conservative Supreme Court composition. She said the Court’s future is frightening because the next president will likely appoint 1-2 Supreme Court justices. “If we don’t keep the White House, it’s over for younger generations. If we do hold it, we can begin to take back the court,” said Lederer-Plaskett.
Recently, the Roberts Court, which is sometimes referred to as the “Trump Court,” decided not to intervene in a lower court’s decision, temporarily allowing hospitals in Idaho to perform emergency abortions without facing prosecution under the state’s abortion ban. This move effectively postpones a definitive ruling on the matter until after the election, when the far right is expected to bring the issue back to the Supreme Court to rule definitively whether federal law, such as the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), overrides strict state abortion bans. Doctors and other healthcare workers in Idaho remain in a precarious situation as there is still confusion when state anti-abortion laws apply when a woman’s health is threatened. According to the Washington Post, 1 in 5 OB/GYNs have left the state due to the uncertainty. “As they [anti-abortionists] push a fetal personhood agenda, it’s an anti-woman agenda,” said Lederer-Plaskett.
In June, SCOTUS ruled that the plaintiffs in the mifepristone abortion pill decision did not have any legal standing. Lederer-Plaskett explained this was a way to say, “Bring the case again, just with somebody else.” She added that these decisions are seen as a stalling tactic by the conservative majority on the court, aiming to avoid political backlash before the upcoming election by further restricting abortion access.
Other significant threats to reproductive rights include out-of-state prosecution, which abortion providers and patients in New York State, as well as other liberal states with reproductive rights, need to be protected from, said Lederer-Plaskett. She argued that uninformed state legislators should not push for restrictive abortion laws. Despite Roe v. Wade being overturned, shifting the abortion issue to individual states, many people assume that liberal states would continue to protect abortion rights. But, in reality, access to abortion and reproductive rights, even in liberal states, is slashed. Mike Lawler, Lederer-Plaskett pointed out, who is running for re-election in Congressional District 17 in New York, has voted for a national abortion ban twice and against abortion care nine times, including against abortion access for the military, amongst other groups. “Actions such as this,” said Lederer-Plaskett, “make it very difficult for a state like New York or California to protect its people and the people coming into the state to receive abortion care.”
Lederer-Plaskett calls for active engagement in the fight for reproductive rights, urging people to move beyond social media activism. “Become a local high school volunteer, get involved, make it more than a talking point and a bumper sticker. Too many people want to sit on Social Media and simply like or share something and don’t do anything,” said Lederer-Plaskett. She has even had interns from Fieldston volunteer. Whether advocating for the Equal Rights Amendment or supporting political candidates, Lederer-Plaskett stressed that every effort contributes significantly to advancing reproductive rights.
For any students who wish to volunteer for Lederer-Plaskett, her email address is catherine@choicematters.org.
