Planned Parenthood named as defendant in civil lawsuit

Planned Parenthood named as defendant in civil lawsuit

The world's largest abortion provider is being sued in Ohio, accused of covering up criminal activity. The case involves a teenage girl and her father.

A lawsuit has been filed in Warren County, Ohio, naming Planned Parenthood as a defendant for not reporting the sexual abuse of minors. The suit alleges that the father of a teenage girl entered the Planned Parenthood facility in Warren County in November 2004, seeking an abortion for the girl to cover up his sexual abuse of the teen and the resulting pregnancy.

Attorney Dana Cody of Life Legal Defense Foundation, which filed the suit on behalf of the girl, Denise Fairbanks, says Planned Parenthood is accused of violating Ohio state law.

"[Her father] took her to Planned Parenthood for an abortion and birth control," the attorney explains, "and rather than report the abuse, Planned Parenthood went ahead and was complicit with the abortion. And because of the birth control, the sexual abuse continued and was covered up."

Cody says if the allegations are true, Planned Parenthood is complicit in the young girl's abuse when it should have been protecting her. Another attorney notes in the complaint that the sexual abuse continued for an additional year-and-a-half until it was reported by a basketball coach. The father was eventually tried and convicted of sexual assault.

The lawsuit offers another unreported abuse of a minor as proof of the abortion provider's pattern and practice of not reporting the sexual abuse of minors. It also calls into question Planned Parenthood's policies and procedures as well as the training and supervision of clinic employees.