Ohio Supreme Court Refuses to Hear Abortion Records Case

The Ohio Supreme Court refused this week to consider whether or not the parents of a teenager who obtained an abortion without their consent have a right to the medical records of other minors from the Planned Parenthood clinic. The 4-3 decision upholds the ruling of the state’s 1st District Court of Appeals, which stated that the clinic did not need to release the medical records; the potential invasion of privacy rights outweighing the value of the records to the lawsuit and there was no evidence that the clinic purposefully shirked their legal obligations, according to the Associated Press.

The original lawsuit claims that the clinic performed an unlawful abortion on the minor and failed to obtain the required parental consent or report suspected child abuse, and that the teenager did not give informed consent, reports the Cincinnati Enquirer. Authorities investigated, but found absolutely no wrong-doing by the Planned Parenthood clinic.

"I'm very pleased the court recognized the importance of privacy and confidentiality of medical records, especially as it relates to patients not involved in pending legal actions," said Becki Brenner, CEO and president of Planned Parenthood of Southwest Ohio in the Cincinnati Enquirer.

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