Nashville pregnancy center is attacked

A Molotov cocktail was thrown through the window of a pregnancy resource center in midtown Nashville early morning Thursday but did not ignite, the Metro Nashville Police Department said.

Police responded to a burglar alarm at the Hope Clinic for Women at 1:38 a.m. on Thursday. Officers found that a Molotov cocktail had broken through a first-floor window, the department said. The FBI is assisting the police department’s Specialized Investigations Division and Hazardous Devices Unit in the investigation.

A message saying “Jane’s Revenge” was spray-painted on the side of the building, police said. A spokesperson from the Hope Clinic said the window was replaced. The scene was clear as of 11:30 a.m. Thursday.

“Jane’s Revenge” is an abortion-rights group that has claimed responsibility for recent acts of firebombing and vandalism at crisis pregnancy centers.

The name refers to the Jane Collective, an organization that helped women obtain abortions prior to the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe V. Wade decision — overturned this month — legalized abortion.

In a statement about the incident, Hope Clinic for Women CEO Kailey Cornett said she is grateful no one was injured and that the center remains open for services.

“We are grateful for all of the community support during this time and we will be back to serving our clients with passion and care tomorrow,” Cornett said.

Gov. Bill Lee tweeted about the incident, calling it terrorism and expressing support for the center, something he did not do when a Knoxville Planned Parenthood building was burned in December. Francie Hunt, executive director of Tennessee Advocates for Planned Parenthood, criticized Lee in a statement.

“When a right-wing terrorist burned a Knoxville health center to the ground, Bill Lee was silent,” Hunt said. “The hypocrisy is plain for all to see.”

Lee currently serves on the advisory board of the Hope Clinic, according to its website, and he has helped to allocate state funds to Christian crisis pregnancy centers.

Police said this is the first act of vandalism in Nashville seemingly related to the recent U.S. Supreme Court abortion decision.

The Hope Clinic for Women is a faith-based pregnancy care center that provides information and counseling to people dealing with pregnancies, according to its website.

Liam Adams contributed to this report.