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| Planned Parenthood Arizona |
An Planned Parenthood Arizona court whistleblower on Friday awarded $ 3 million in damages to a former Planned Parenthood Clinic director in a wrongful termination case. Myra Rodriguez claimed that she was unfairly dismissed after raising concerns about ethical and legal violations at abortion facilities operated by the group.
In a ruling delivered in Maricopa County Superior Court on August 16, Judge Pamela Gates found favor with Rodriguez, who worked for Arizona's Planned Parenthood Arizona for 17 years.
During his time with the nation's largest abortion provider, Rodriguez claims he saw physician misconduct, illegal conduct of a doctor, falsification of affidavits and patient records, and failure to report to a minor who was an adult. Was a partner. Following her complaints, she was removed from her post in October of 2017, at which time she sued.
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| Planned Parenthood Arizona |
After managing the Title X location - where he said no abortions had been performed - Rodriguez managed three clinics, including one in Glendale, the region's biggest miscarriage when she took it in November 2016 Was one of the facilities.
There Rodriguez saw some "eye-opening" concerns, including a high complication rate from an abortionist who was not recovering patients' information properly.
She also told superiors that a minor with an adult sexual partner was not reported on the first day of contact with the assigned parenthood according to the law and the organization's own policy, and that affidavit and patient record were falsified .
However, the organization did not take action on her complaints. "And it didn't happen because the person I was referring to was a powerful person," Rodriguez said. "My motivation has always been in caring for women, to help, that they are being cared for, that they received compassionate and high quality care."
"And so clearly, when I saw that it wasn't happening, I was very worried," he said.
When she began to explain her concerns, she noticed that her superiors were "giving me a very hard time about the usual, common daily stuff from other clinics."
Then, she was told that the narcotics had been found on her desk — she had not been working there in a week, she said — and was fired. "I tried to convince myself, but the decision was made," he told CNA.
Rodriguez decided to proceed with a wrongful termination lawsuit to clear his name, triggering a nearly two-year legal battle.
"It's been two years. A lot of deception, and a lot of pain, ”Rodriguez told CNA. “I lost a lot of friends in these two years, especially since I lost my job. People stopped talking to me the moment they heard that I had sued. Some of them still work there, so I understand. But there were others, who had previously worked there, and 'Oh, I don't want to get involved.' '
"It hurts, because there were moments where you feel like you're standing there alone," she said.
Her undisclosed immigrant status was revealed in court, with planned paternity used against her to discredit her as a "liar".
"I never thought it would come through an organization that stands for immigrant rights, but it did," she said. "My children were there, and it hurts. You don't know that it is as long as you are us.
"When you are called liars to get work to provide for your family, it is tough," she told CNA. Rodriguez said that "some of them knew" about her immigration status on planned paternity, though "she denied knowing. "
During the court process, Rodriguez said a mutual friend encouraged her to reach out to former Planned Parenthood Arizona Clinic Director Abby Johnson, who left the abortion industry and eventually founded the ministry and then helped hundreds of abortion clinic staff There was no one to do it. Industry. The movie "Unplanted", released in theaters this year, tells the story of Johnson.
Rodriguez noticed that he shared some similarities with Johnson's story - "We were like the stars of the organization, and then suddenly we just became bad kids."
Then on Friday, Rodriguez's court battle ended - he was awarded $ 3 million in damages by a jury in a Maricopa County court.
"There are no words to describe" the gamblers' faces, Rodriguez said, "the sympathy they had on their faces at the time, after knowing what I was doing and what they saw — was sympathy."
Johnson stated his solidarity with Rodriguez following Friday's decision.
"When Myra reached the end with her incredible story, I didn't feel solidarity with her, I felt solidarity with her," Johnson said in a statement.
"It has been wonderful to stand with him through the trial and rejoice in the final victory."