Court orders Ohio abortion center to close

After a years-long legal battle, a judge has upheld the Ohio Department of Health’s decision to close Women’s Med Center of Dayton (WMCD), a surgical abortion facility operated by Martin Haskell. Haskell is infamous for pioneering the (now illegal) partial-birth abortion method.

Martin Haskell

In 2016, the Department of Health found that WMCD lacked adequate safety protocols for emergencies. Haskell sought a variance from the requirement of hospital privileges (which applies to all ambulatory surgical centers, not just abortion businesses). The Department of Health denied the variance request, and Haskell took it to court. Last week, a judge ruled in favor of the Department of Health; you can read the full decision here. WMCD has 30 days to appeal, which it almost certainly will.

It’s not mentioned in the judge’s opinion, but WMCD is the same abortion center that committed an abortion on a woman who was unable to consent back in 2015. The woman reportedly “showed signs of recreational drug abuse” (Percocet, Suboxone, and possibly heroin). She was so high, she was “not able to walk, or to make coherent conversation.” She was “semi-conscious with a low blood pressure.”

Where I’m from, deliberately inserting instruments into a half-conscious, intoxicated woman’s vagina is called rape—but as too often happens, Haskell faced zero consequences.

The wheels of justice move at a snail’s pace. Still, we are one step closer to shutting down this menace to women and babies, and that’s something to celebrate. We will continue to update you on this legal battle as it progresses.

Meanwhile, Haskell isn’t only focused on the courts. He’s also financially backing Democratic congressional candidate Aftab Pureval in his attempt to unseat Republican Rep. Steve Chabot. The race is currently considered a toss-up.