Abortion giant gives up on case against ex–clinic director
'Like so many Planned Parenthood lawsuits, this was baseless'
Former Planned Parenthood director Abby Johnson with Coalition for Life Director Shawn Carney (photo: Coalition for Life)
Planned Parenthood, the American abortion industry's leading player, "quietly" has dropped its lawsuit against a former clinic director who quit her job after watching an abortion.
The news comes from the Alliance Defense Fund, which had been assisting former Planned Parenthood clinic director Abby Johnson.
"This was the latest in a series of national Planned Parenthood scandals," said ADF Senior Legal Counsel Steven H. Aden.
"It wasn't about one woman or one clinic. Planned Parenthood is a national organization that has been kept afloat by hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer funding. The American people need to understand that this organization has been involved in scandal after scandal and has never owned up to them. Like so many Planned Parenthood lawsuits, this lawsuit was baseless, so we are pleased that it has been withdrawn," he said.
Among other accusations, Planned Parenthood falsely claimed Johnson violated a confidentiality agreement and breached an employment contract, even though she never had one, according to the ADF.
WND reported earlier when a judge refused to grant Planned Parenthood's demand for an injunction against Johnson.
The judge also rejected the abortion company's demand for an injunction targeting the Coalition for Life, an organization whose members oppose abortion in the College Station, Texas, area where Johnson had worked.
The ruling from Judge J.D. Langley concluded Planned Parenthood did not offer reasons that would convince him of the need for "the extreme remedy of injunctive relief."
The company had sought court intervention to block disclosure of confidential patient information, which Johnson said she never considered doing anyway.
The ADF confirmed the order withdrawing the lawsuit was issued by the Brazos County District Court.
In its request, Planned Parenthood admitted, "Plaintiffs no longer desire to pursue this cause of action against Defendants, Abby Johnson and the Brazos Valley Coalition for Life."
The request, dated Nov. 13, was signed by the court Nov. 17. Marc Hamlin, district clerk, said, "In accordance with Rule 306A Texas Rules of Civil Procedure you are hereby notified of the entry of the Order on Motion for NonSuit."
WND reported when Johnson was interviewed by former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee on his Fox News Channel show:
Click here for view the video
And in an earlier interview with WND, Johnson told of Planned Parenthood's abortion quotas, which she said were needed to generate revenue for the organization.
"We'd have a goal every month for abortion clients and for family planning clients," she said.
Johnson, 29, said the Bryan, Texas, Planned Parenthood clinic performed surgical abortions every other Saturday, but it began expanding access to abortion to increase earnings. She said her turning point came when she was told to assist with an abortion.
"For whatever reason I was called in to help. My job was to hold the ultrasound probe on the abdomen," she said. "When I looked at the screen, I saw a baby on the screen. She was about 13 weeks pregnant at the time. I saw a full side profile. I saw face to feet on the ultrasound.
"I saw the probe going into the woman's uterus. At that moment I saw the baby moving, trying to get away from the probe," she continued.
"I thought, 'It's fighting for its life.' I thought, 'It's life. It's alive.'
"I dropped the ultrasound probe. I scrambled and put [the probe] back in place. So many things were going through my mind. I was thinking about my daughter, who's three," she said.
"I was just thinking, 'What am I doing here? What am I doing here? There was life in here and now there's not.'"
Johnson later was mentioned by name during the U.S. House debate over an amendment designed to limit taxpayer funding of abortions.
In remarks on the House floor, Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., said, "Self-described as 'extremely pro-choice,' but now pro-life, Abby Johnson said she watched an unborn child 'crumple' before her very eyes as the infant was vacuumed and dismembered by a suction device 20-30 times more powerful than a household vacuum cleaner. 'I could see the baby try to move away … I just thought what am I doing … never again.'"
Contact: Bob Unruh
Source: WorldNetDaily
Publish Date: November 26, 2009
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Send this article to a friend.
'Like so many Planned Parenthood lawsuits, this was baseless'
Former Planned Parenthood director Abby Johnson with Coalition for Life Director Shawn Carney (photo: Coalition for Life)
Planned Parenthood, the American abortion industry's leading player, "quietly" has dropped its lawsuit against a former clinic director who quit her job after watching an abortion.
The news comes from the Alliance Defense Fund, which had been assisting former Planned Parenthood clinic director Abby Johnson.
"This was the latest in a series of national Planned Parenthood scandals," said ADF Senior Legal Counsel Steven H. Aden.
"It wasn't about one woman or one clinic. Planned Parenthood is a national organization that has been kept afloat by hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer funding. The American people need to understand that this organization has been involved in scandal after scandal and has never owned up to them. Like so many Planned Parenthood lawsuits, this lawsuit was baseless, so we are pleased that it has been withdrawn," he said.
Among other accusations, Planned Parenthood falsely claimed Johnson violated a confidentiality agreement and breached an employment contract, even though she never had one, according to the ADF.
WND reported earlier when a judge refused to grant Planned Parenthood's demand for an injunction against Johnson.
The judge also rejected the abortion company's demand for an injunction targeting the Coalition for Life, an organization whose members oppose abortion in the College Station, Texas, area where Johnson had worked.
The ruling from Judge J.D. Langley concluded Planned Parenthood did not offer reasons that would convince him of the need for "the extreme remedy of injunctive relief."
The company had sought court intervention to block disclosure of confidential patient information, which Johnson said she never considered doing anyway.
The ADF confirmed the order withdrawing the lawsuit was issued by the Brazos County District Court.
In its request, Planned Parenthood admitted, "Plaintiffs no longer desire to pursue this cause of action against Defendants, Abby Johnson and the Brazos Valley Coalition for Life."
The request, dated Nov. 13, was signed by the court Nov. 17. Marc Hamlin, district clerk, said, "In accordance with Rule 306A Texas Rules of Civil Procedure you are hereby notified of the entry of the Order on Motion for NonSuit."
WND reported when Johnson was interviewed by former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee on his Fox News Channel show:
Click here for view the video
And in an earlier interview with WND, Johnson told of Planned Parenthood's abortion quotas, which she said were needed to generate revenue for the organization.
"We'd have a goal every month for abortion clients and for family planning clients," she said.
Johnson, 29, said the Bryan, Texas, Planned Parenthood clinic performed surgical abortions every other Saturday, but it began expanding access to abortion to increase earnings. She said her turning point came when she was told to assist with an abortion.
"For whatever reason I was called in to help. My job was to hold the ultrasound probe on the abdomen," she said. "When I looked at the screen, I saw a baby on the screen. She was about 13 weeks pregnant at the time. I saw a full side profile. I saw face to feet on the ultrasound.
"I saw the probe going into the woman's uterus. At that moment I saw the baby moving, trying to get away from the probe," she continued.
"I thought, 'It's fighting for its life.' I thought, 'It's life. It's alive.'
"I dropped the ultrasound probe. I scrambled and put [the probe] back in place. So many things were going through my mind. I was thinking about my daughter, who's three," she said.
"I was just thinking, 'What am I doing here? What am I doing here? There was life in here and now there's not.'"
Johnson later was mentioned by name during the U.S. House debate over an amendment designed to limit taxpayer funding of abortions.
In remarks on the House floor, Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., said, "Self-described as 'extremely pro-choice,' but now pro-life, Abby Johnson said she watched an unborn child 'crumple' before her very eyes as the infant was vacuumed and dismembered by a suction device 20-30 times more powerful than a household vacuum cleaner. 'I could see the baby try to move away … I just thought what am I doing … never again.'"
Contact: Bob Unruh
Source: WorldNetDaily
Publish Date: November 26, 2009
Link to this article.
Send this article to a friend.
