ARTICLES
APRIL 2005 ARTICLES
Contents © 2005
by Jim Holman.
All rights reserved.
Wasteful, Fraudulent Racists
Planned Parenthood Los Angeles Hit with a Lawsuit
BY MARIA KENNEDY
On January 18, a lawsuit against Planned Parenthood of Los Angeles was filed in Los Angeles superior court by a former employee alleging racial discrimination, sexual harassment, wrongful termination, and the failure to pay overtime. The lawsuit also alleges financial wrongdoing by Planned Parenthood. According to the lawsuit, the abortion provider's own accounting firm cited bookkeeping irregularities by the abortion provider.
The lawsuit also names the governor of California and the director of the California department of health and human services, because the state funded Planned Parenthood using $400,000 from the California Health Facilities Finance Authority, among other governmental funding. Though, says the lawsuit, Planned Parenthood has engaged in racially-discriminatory behavior, it continues to receive governmental funding. Under California law, no agency which engages in racial discrimination or wrongdoing can be funded with state monies. According to the lawsuit, the governor and the director are charged with ensuring that all publicly-funded agencies comply with the law. Rich Ackerman of the Pro Family Law Center, who is representing the plaintiff, says that the governor and the director have the power to immediately stop funding Planned Parenthood.
The lawsuit stems from allegations by former Planned Parenthood of Los Angeles employee Andrew Jones, who says that upper management at Planned Parenthood of Los Angeles has engaged in racial discrimination for years. According to Jones' lawsuit, Planned Parenthood has created a hostile environment for minority employees. One affidavit filed with the complaint states that upper level management used racially derogatory references to minority employees.
In 2000 Jones was hired by Planned Parenthood as a project director for their community services and education department. Jones' duties included outreach to the African American community in South Central Los Angeles. According to Ackerman, Jones was terminated because "he wouldn't lie about Planned Parenthood to the community." The lawsuit notes that Planned Parenthood charged Jones, who worked from their East L.A. clinic, with introducing a new clinic in a South Central neighborhood while hiding from residents the fact that the clinic would perform abortions. Ackerman says that the South Central clinic was told by the community that they didn't want an abortion clinic in their neighborhood.
In order to gain access to the African American youth population, Planned Parenthood opened the Ujima Teen Center and health clinic in the heart of South Central Los Angeles. According to Planned Parenthood's web site, the clinic was located there because the area has "one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in Los Angeles.
When this reporter asked the Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson, executive director of Brotherhood Organization of a New Destiny, whether he was surprised with the allegations of racism at Planned Parenthood, he said, "no, I'm not surprised. They are using racism because it has worked for so long. All of these groups who manipulate for their own agendas use racism." When asked about the opposition in the black community towards the Planned Parenthood abortion clinic, Petersen said that it was natural. "So many black babies have been aborted that blacks are starting to wake up to Planned Parenthood." Petersen noted that blacks need to take responsibility for their own destiny. "Most blacks are brainwashed and use racism to justify their lack of responsibility. Whites are so scared that the mention of racism makes them run for the hills."
Keith Hardine, director of community affairs for the Coalition on Urban Renewal and Education, said that in spite of the fact that Planned Parenthood has a racist agenda (evidenced by the Jones lawsuit), many black community leaders showed up en masse on February 4 for the grand opening of a Planned Parenthood abortion clinic in South Central Los Angeles. "Assembly member Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles) was there," Hardine noted. "So was Councilman Bernard Parks (a Los Angeles city mayoral candidate). Councilwoman Jan Perry, who represents the area, was there. Assembly member Mark Ridley Thomas (D-Los Angeles) was there and also someone from Mayor Hahn's office."
In his lawsuit, Jones said that Planned Parenthood proceeded with the clinic in spite of the community's wishes. According to Hardine, Planned Parenthood's executive director Louise Evans called the new clinic "a safe harbor for the community." Hardine noted the irony of Planned Parenthood promoting choice with regards to abortion all the while opposing school choice for black children. "Either you are for choice or you aren't," he said.
Star Parker, executive director for the Coalition, said that she was not surprised by the lawsuit. "Planned Parenthood's founder Margaret Sanger was racist," she said in an interview with this reporter. "They [Planned Parenthood] want to control the number of minorities. Their mission is to make sure that only what they view as the proper people are allowed to be born."
According to Ackerman, Jones' will not be the only lawsuit to be filed against Planned Parenthood by former minority employees. "I anticipate that we will be filing another lawsuit in the next couple of weeks," Ackerman said in an interview. In a press statement Ackerman said that he hopes that the lawsuits against Planned Parenthood will shed light on how they deceptively target minorities for abortions in their own neighborhoods. "This is the beginning of a new era of accountability for California's special interests," writes Ackerman. "Unscrupulous organizations cannot come to the trough expecting to be fed if they are not willing to abide by the same laws that govern legitimately needy organizations. [Planned Parenthood Los Angeles], unlike California schools, teachers, hospitals, and state clinics, is supported by generous financial contributions from Hollywood celebrities, wealthy corporations, and huge estates. I sincerely hope that [California state treasurer] Angelides and Schwarzenegger will protect the public in these dire financial times. This is no time for political agendas to get in the way of protecting taxpayers from waste and fraud. I might also point out that racism and sexism, in any form, are unacceptable in a civilized society. Given Planned Parenthood's rampant promotion of diversity and tolerance, I think it would be best if they demonstrated some necessary integrity by voluntarily abstaining from taxpayer funding."