Judge Orders Release of Abortion Clinic Files

The Cincinnati Planned Parenthood Clinic must give a family that is suing the clinic all records on abortion patients younger than 18, a judge ruled. The documents are being sought in a lawsuit by the family of a teenage girl.

The suit alleges that Planned Parenthood never got parental consent to perform an abortion on the girl, as required by Ohio law.

Clinic President Becki Brenner said the clinic will appeal Wednesday's ruling by Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Patrick Dinkelacker.

The records are needed to determine whether the clinic has a pattern of failing to notify parents, said attorney Brian Hurley, who represents the family. Patients' names would be blacked out on the documents to protect their privacy, Hurley said.

"We're very concerned about the exposure of private medical information," Brenner said. "Anyone that has private medical information should be fearful."

The family's lawsuit alleges that the girl's 21-year-old boyfriend took her to the clinic and identified himself as her stepbrother, and the abortion was performed without notifying the girl's parents.
AP

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