Planned Parenthood sues Fontana over abortion access

Planned Parenthood sues Fontana

Planned Parenthood has sued the city of Fontana claiming that the city is blocking access to abortion. The suit is asking a construction moratorium be lifted to allow construction progress on a health center. The city said it cannot comment.

FONTANA, Calif. - Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties has sued the city of Fontana, saying a construction moratorium in the city singles out a proposed healthcare center, and violates the state's constitution by limiting residents' access to abortions and other care.

The lawsuit was filed on Dec. 4. It singles out an "Urgency Moratorium" that the Fontana City Council extended in September, which the organization said exempts many buildings in the area, and singles out the health care center. Planned Parenthood also alleged that many of the buildings exempted from the moratorium had ties to City Council members.

"Instead of working in their citizens’ interests, they (the Fontana City Council) wasted taxpayer resources on issuing an unconstitutional, procedurally improper moratorium on new construction that exclusively blocks PPOSBC’s health center, despite a clear need in their community," PPOSBC President and CEO Jon Dunn said in a statement.

Planned Parenthood said it began filing the paperwork for the center back in July 2022, and got verbal approval from the city's Director of Planning, and then verbal approval from the city’s engineering department. Just days later, the moratorium was enacted.

In stalling the construction, Planned Parenthood alleges that the city is violating residents' right to abortion access, which was added to the California state constitution after voters approved Proposition 1 in November 2022.

In a statement to FOX 11, the City of Fontana said it hasn't yet had the opportunity to review Planned Parenthood's complaint, and cannot comment.