Planned Parenthood St. Louis appeals ruling to turn over docs to Missouri AG
ST. LOUIS – The St. Louis Planned Parenthood branch plans to appeal a court ruling to turn over documents sought from the Missouri Attorney General in an investigation.
In late March, Planned Parenthood St. Louis filed a lawsuit against Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, calling on him to end an investigation into the branch’s gender-affirming health care program.
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Last week, a St. Louis Circuit Court judge ruled that Planned Parenthood would need to turn over documents on gender-transition care for minors to Bailey. A judge ruled that the state’s Merchandising Practices Act entitled Bailey to the requested documents.
Planned Parenthood asserts that the ruling does protect individual patients’ health records, but questions the merit of Bailey’s investigation.
Richard Muniz, interim president and CEO, Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri, offered the following statement to FOX 2 on Friday.
“Andrew Bailey has weaponized the Attorney General’s office to carry out a political campaign targeting some of Missouri’s most vulnerable — rather than work to promote the health and rights of transgender and gender-expansive Missourians.
“We’re asking the court of appeals to put a halt to Bailey’s pretextual and lawless investigation, because Missourians should not have to live in fear of having their essential and lifesaving care dismantled — or their private health information scrutinized by politicians. Planned Parenthood remains committed to ensuring the rights to privacy and health care are protected. When we said we won’t back down from this sham investigation, we meant it.”Richard Muniz
Bailey offered the following statement to FOX 2 after Planned Parenthood’s announcement to appeal.
“It’s baffling that Planned Parenthood doesn’t want to comply with our investigation that merely seeks to ensure children weren’t experimented on without parental consent. As a father of four, this fight to protect children is personal for me. We will not let up. I look forward to prevailing in court on this matter once again.”
Andrew Bailey
Bailey has also previously sued Washington University and claimed it did not hand over documents about its pediatric transgender clinic.
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