Planned Parenthood sues Ohio Department of Health

Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio Region has sued the Ohio Department of Health, claiming the department has not yet processed change of ownership paperwork for a notorious Dayton abortion facility.

Key Takeaways:

• In 2025, Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio Region purchased the Women’s Med Center in Dayton, previously owned by Martin Haskell, inventor of the dilation and extraction (D&X) or "partial-birth" abortion procedure; the center also has a long history of injuries to women.

• The Ohio Department of Health had previously revoked the facility's license for failing to meet state health and safety standards, sparking a multi-year legal battle.

• Planned Parenthood is now suing the Ohio Department of Health, claiming it is intentionally not filing change of ownership paperwork.

The Backstory:

The abortion facility in question was originally known as the Women’s Med Center of Dayton, and was previously owned by Martin Haskell, who invented the dilation and extraction (D&X), or "partial-birth" abortion, procedure. That procedure is now federally banned.

When committing a D&X abortion, the baby is fully delivered breech, or feet first, except for her head, which is left inside the vaginal canal. The abortionist makes an incision in the base of the baby’s neck, inserts a suction cannula, and suctions out the baby’s brain. Only then does the abortionist remove the baby's head from the vaginal canal.

Women's Med Center of Dayton also has a long history of injuring women.

The Ohio Department of Health revoked the facility’s license in 2014, claiming the facility failed to meet state health and safety standards. The facility appealed the ruling, but continued to operate without a license as the case made its way through the court system. The facility lost its appeals twice, and the Ohio Supreme Court also ruled against the facility twice. In 2019, the Ohio Department of Health approved the facility’s application for a new license with a name change, whcih allowed the facility to reopen.

As Ohio Right to Life explained:

There are safety standards for every ambulatory surgical facility. In fact, Planned Parenthood has previously been cited by the Ohio Department of Health for failing to comply with state regulations at its Cincinnati facility. Furthermore, the Dayton facility had previously lost its license due to lack of a transfer agreement with a local hospital. A transfer agreement is critical for continuity of care if there is a medical emergency during or after an abortion procedure.

The Dayton facility tried to regain the license and was denied by the Court of Appeals and the Ohio Supreme Court. It was not until the same clinic created a new corporate entity, then applied for a new variance and license that Amy Acton's Department of Health approved the application, allowing the facility to continue operating after years of litigation had upheld the revocation of its previous license.

In January of 2025, Planned Parenthood purchased the facility, but women have continued to be injured there.

The Details:

Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio Region filed a lawsuit with the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas, and asked for the Ohio Department of Health to be found in contempt of court. The abortion corporation is claiming discrimination due to the alleged delay in processing the paperwork.

“We purchased Women’s Med Center in Dayton more than 18 months ago and promptly filed our change of ownership documentation with the department,” Nan Whaley, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio Region, said. “They’ve been sitting on that paperwork ever since, and we’re tired of waiting.”

In the meantime, Whaley said Planned Parenthood is relying on none other than Martin Haskell.

“The delay has forced us to rely on the kindness of the previous Women’s Med Center owner, Dr. Martin Haskell, by requiring him to maintain his license until the state transfers ownership to us,” Whaley said. “That’s unsustainable, it’s unfair to Dr. Haskell, and it leaves us wondering: Would this be happening if we were any other health care provider?”

Though Planned Parenthood likes to position itself as a legitimate health care provider upon which millions of Americans rely, the reality is quite different: the organization's legitimate health care services are few, with birth control and abortion its main focus, with more than 400,000 abortions every year.

Overall, Planned Parenthood serves just 2% of American women of reproductive age, and according to its own annual reports, the few health care services it does provide have plummeted in recent years, all while abortions have steadily increased.

Furthermore, abortion — the intentional, targeted taking of a preborn life — is not health care. In emergency situations, a woman may need to have her preborn baby delivered earlier than a point at which survival is possible. This may secondarily lead to the baby's death; however, the intention is not to kill the baby but to save the mother's life.

Managers Reveal Planned Parenthood is Not Real Health Care

The Bottom Line:

The Ohio Department of Health has not released any comment. If the court rules in Planned Parenthood's favor, the department can face fines and corrective action to be taken as ordered by the court, while individuals within the department deemed responsible for the offense could potentially face jail time.