Planned Parenthood Affiliate Apologizes for Accepting Racist Abortion Donation

State   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Feb 28, 2008   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

Planned Parenthood Affiliate Apologizes for Accepting Racist Abortion Donation Email this article
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
February 28
, 2008

Boise, ID (LifeNews.com) — One of the Planned Parenthood affiliates a student magazine has accused of racism is responding to the charges and has apologized. Planned Parenthood of Idaho was one of the groups The Advocate magazine, a publication of UCLA pro-life students, said accepted a racist donation during a recent investigative story.

On Tuesday, the magazine released phone recordings of Planned Parenthood staffers approving a donor’s racist agenda.

An actor, posing as a racist donor, called Planned Parenthood development centers and asked that his donation be used to abort African-American babies in order to “lower the number of black people.”

The Advocate spoke over the phone with Autumn Kersey, Vice-President of Marketing and Development for Planned Parenthood of Idaho.

The false donor told Kersey, "I really faced trouble with affirmative action, and I don’t want my kids to be disadvantaged against black kids. I just had a baby; I want to put it in his name."

"And we don’t, you know we just think, the less black kids out there the better," the caller added.

"(Laughs) Understandable, understandable," Kersey responded, according to the magazine.

"Right. I want to protect my son, so he can get into college," the donor added.

"Alright. Excuse my hesitation, this is the first time I’ve had a donor call and make this kind of request, so I’m excited, and want to make sure I don’t leave anything out," Kersey responded.

On Thursday, Planned Parenthood of Idaho CEO Rebecca Poedy released a statement responding to the allegations and apologizing.

"Planned Parenthood firmly and unequivocally denounces racial bias in the delivery of health care," the statement read.

It continued, "A fund raising employee violated the organization’s principles and practices when she appeared to be willing to accept a racially motivated donation. This employee made a serious mistake. We apologize for the manner in which this offensive call was handled."

Bryan Fischer, the executive director of the Idaho Values Alliance, a pro-family group, told LifeNews.com that Planned Parenthood should be ashamed for excusing the racist motivations behind the "donation."

“Ms. Kersey’s conduct in the phone conversation is reprehensible," he said. "She should be immediately fired, and since her thinking appears to represent the thinking of Planned Parenthood, it might be best if the organization closed its doors and left the state. Idaho is too great for hate and racism.”

According to the magazine, Planned Parenthood officials in six other states gladly accepted the racist donations.