Planned Parenthood Fails to Silence Former Abortion Center Director in Court

State   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Nov 10, 2009   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

Planned Parenthood Fails to Silence Former Abortion Center Director in Court

by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
November 10
, 2009

Bryan, TX (LifeNews.com) — Planned Parenthood officials have failed in their bid to silence a former abortion center director who quit working for the abortion business after seeing an ultrasound of an abortion. They had pushed for a restraining order on Abby Johnson and a pro-life group that helped her conversion.

Johnson had been the director of the Planned Parenthood center in this southeast Texas city that is home to Texas A&M University.

She turned in her resignation on October 6 after years of a local pro-life group helping her see the problem with abortion. After the ultrasound, she decided to leave.

Planned Parenthood officials hit both Johnson and the Coalition for Life with restraining orders requiring them not to disclose information about the abortions done at its facility.

But, District Judge J.D. Langley issued a ruling today saying Planned Parenthood did not provide sufficient evidence that Johnson breached a confidentiality agreement concerning identity of an abortion practitioner who works at Planned Parenthood.

Judge Langley also ruled that Planned Parenthood provided no evidence to back up its allegations that Johnson took confidential patient records out of Planned Parenthood on the day she resigned.

The judge also denied a Planned Parenthood request to prevent Johnson from seeking any lawsuit until a trial or any other court action had been made.

David Bereit, national director of 40 Days for Life, the national pro-life prayer campaign that began in Johnson’s hometown, told LifeNews.com he’s delighted by the rulings.

"I am gratified that Planned Parenthood has failed in its misguided effort to silence its former clinic director in Bryan/College Station, Texas, who experienced a spiritual conversion after witnessing an abortion and is now pro-life," he said.

Johnson was very pleased with the court’s decision, he said, which opens the door for her to offer more specifics about her work at Planned Parenthood and the reasons she resigned.

The judge also denied a similar request directed at the Coalition for Life, the local pro-life organization that started the 40 Days for Life campaign in Bryan/College Station five years ago.

Since her departure from Planned Parenthood, Johnson’s story has received major media attention at a time when abortion has become the central issue in the national debate over health care reform.

"The truth about abortion that Abby witnessed on an ultrasound machine at Planned Parenthood underscores the fact that abortion is not health care, and it should not be funded in any way by the government," said Bereit.

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