The abortion occurred around Jan 19, 2023. The 15-year-old was 11 weeks pregnant at the time.
According to the lawsuit, the daughter of Charles RemireLee Mullins and Randa Diane Hagy was pressured into an abortion against her wishes. The civil lawsuit lists Bristol Women's Health and the Dickenson County Department of Social Services (DSS) as defendants. The center's director, the physician on staff, the DSS worker, and the DSS director are also named in the lawsuit.
Virginia law requires minors to obtain consent from a parent or guardian before having an abortion unless they receive special permission from a judge. The suit alleges that a bypass was never obtained, and even the daughter refused to cooperate until she was at an abortion appointment scheduled by DSS.
The lawsuit seeks $10 million in compensatory damages and $5.4 million in punitive damages.
Diane Derzis, the owner of Bristol Women's Health, is currently facing a separate lawsuit from the facility's landlords, who claim that they were misled about how the space would be used. Derzis was also the owner of Jackson Women's Health Organization, the facility that sued Mississippi in the Supreme Court Case overturning Roe v. Wade.
