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Beverly Hills faces legal action over blocking abortion clinic

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Monday, November 25, 2024

Beverly Hills faces legal action over blocking abortion clinic

State AG
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Attorney General Rob Bonta | Official website

California Attorney General Rob Bonta has announced a stipulated judgment with the City of Beverly Hills following allegations that the city violated state constitutional rights and the Reproductive Privacy Act. The issue arose when DuPont Clinic, an abortion provider from Washington, D.C., attempted to open a clinic in Beverly Hills in September 2022. Despite publicly supporting abortion rights, city officials reportedly created barriers that prevented the clinic's establishment.

The stipulated judgment mandates Beverly Hills to implement injunctive measures such as training on state and federal protections for reproductive healthcare clinics and reporting compliance to the Attorney General’s office. Bonta emphasized the importance of protecting access to reproductive healthcare in California, stating: “It is troubling that, even here in California where access to reproductive healthcare is a constitutional right, Beverly Hills officials have taken actions reminiscent of those in extremist red states by illegally interfering with, and ultimately preventing a new reproductive healthcare clinic from opening.”

In early 2023, DuPont Clinic had invested $2.5 million into renovating a leased medical suite owned by Douglas Emmett and applied for necessary permits. However, anti-abortion protests and lobbying efforts against the clinic began late in 2022. The Department of Justice found that Beverly Hills unlawfully delayed permit issuance and pressured Douglas Emmett to terminate DuPont’s lease by claiming unfounded security threats.

The stipulated judgment requires Beverly Hills to comply with several measures subject to court approval:

- Develop training materials on legal protections for reproductive healthcare within 90 days.

- Conduct comprehensive training for city employees within 150 days and biennially thereafter.

- Publicly post training resources about protections for reproductive clinics.

- Establish a complaint procedure for potential violations of reproductive rights laws.

- Appoint a Reproductive Compliance Officer responsible for developing training materials.

- Annually report compliance with the judgment over five years.

The full complaint and related documents are available online.

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