University of Wisconsin Accused of Illegally Funding Students at Abortion Centers

State   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Jan 1, 2009   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

University of Wisconsin Accused of Illegally Funding Students at Abortion Centers

by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
February 22
, 2010

Madison, WI (LifeNews.com) — A Wisconsin pro-life group says it has uncovered documents showing the University of Wisconsin may be illegally funding internships for medical students at abortion centers. State law prohibits the use of taxpayer funds to pay for elective abortions or to abortion centers.

The Alliance Defense Fund pro-life legal group, in conjunction with Pro-Life Wisconsin, used an open records request to gather the information.

The documents reveal the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics (UWHC) has been funding medical students’ rotations at Planned Parenthood, training medical students in abortion procedures.

Peggy Hamill, state director of Pro-Life Wisconsin, notes that state law prohibits taxpayer funding of elective abortions.

“The mountain of evidence continues to build showing UW’s deceit,” she said in a statement LifeNews.com received. “I challenge UW and UWHC officials to prove they have not violated state law.”

According to Wisconsin Statute 20.927, “No funds of this state or of any county, city, village, town or long term care district or of any subdivision or agency of this state or of any county, city, village or town and no federal funds passing through the state treasury shall be authorized for or paid to a physician or surgeon or a hospital, clinic or other medical facility for the performance of an abortion.”

Hamill also points to Statute 20.9275, which prohibits spending state funds on programs that provide, encourage, or refer for abortions.

The pro-life groups say medical students in the UW School of Medicine Ob/Gyn Department have two four-week rotations at Planned Parenthood, where they view and participate in abortions.

The documents include an email dated November 14, 2008 from Carl Getto, M.D., the senior vice president of medical affairs at UWHC, in which he says: “UWHC has been paying for the [Planned Parenthood] rotation to date. We will continue to do so. Please let Planned Parenthood know.”

The groups also point to a November-December 2008 email exchange where Gloria Frane, an employee of the UW School of Medicine Ob/Gyn Department, stated that UW paid abortion practitioner Caryn Dutton and two companions to travel to the University of North Carolina to view how late-term abortions are done there.

Frane concludes the email with, “I hope the ladies’ trip re: the pregnancy [termination] was a success!”

Virginia Zignego, communications director for Pro-Life Wisconsin, was also incensed.

“As a UW graduate, I am deeply ashamed my alma mater is funding the destruction of innocent human life and training future baby killers,” she said. “UW’s blood runs red, indeed.”

Pro-Life Wisconsin and the Alliance Defense Fund have filed an additional open records request for any recent records regarding payments made between UW and Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin.

Related web sites:
Students abortion rotation

Signed contract – https://www.prolifewisconsin.org/releases/MOU_PPWI_UW.pdf

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