Revere Human Rights Commission to form small mediator group after anonymous complaint alleging coercive reproductive counseling
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Summary
The Revere Human Rights Commission read an anonymous submission alleging a patient advocate at an unnamed facility used 'coercive and deceptive' tactics around abortion care. Commissioners voted to create a two- to three-person mediator/intake group with the executive director to meet complainants, clarify confidentiality, and refer cases to state agencies when appropriate.
Chair Sheba Hussain read an anonymous HRC submission dated Nov. 21, 2025, alleging "coercive and deceptive conduct by this facility." The submission, read into the record, described staff separating a patient from her partner and said a patient advocate "told her that an abortion pill would ruin her life and that she could bleed out and die and that she might see an arm or a leg in the fetus in the toilet after you take it." Hussain redacted identifying details and said the commission would follow up confidentially.
The commission voted to create a small mediator/intake group — two to three commissioners plus Director Morabito — to meet privately with complainants, establish consent for disclosure, and compile public-facing resources about what the commission can and cannot do. "I would ask them I would meet them in person or wherever they felt comfortable, and I would ask them a series of questions on the intake form," Director Morabito said, explaining the commission's intake process and referral role.
Morabito emphasized the HRC's limits: the body "does not have the jurisdiction to make those decisions" and will refer discrimination matters to outside agencies where warranted, naming the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination as an example. He said he would prepare an intake report for the commission when a complaint proceeds and that the solicitor could be asked to clarify the commission's legal scope in public.
Commissioners discussed confidentiality and legal exposure before voting. Commissioner Page expressed concerns about sharing the complainant's information without permission, and others agreed the commission should protect submitters' privacy. Following discussion, the group motion to create the mediator/intake team was seconded and approved with affirmative voice votes recorded.
Next steps included: Director Morabito contacting the complainant to complete the intake, the mediator group drafting a written outline of the mediation/intake workflow, and an update to the HRC website to clarify the commission's role and add links to state filing options.
The commission did not identify the facility, and no formal finding or enforcement action was announced. The commission's next procedural step is to complete intake and refer to state authorities where the intake indicates possible discrimination or other jurisdictional violations.