During a heated public comment period at the May 21 Beverly Hills City Council meeting, more than twenty people criticized the city for its actions in connection with a proposed clinic for abortion services on Wilshire Boulevard. As the Courier has reported, those actions are the subject of a Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit brought by DuPont Clinic, PC and Consultants in Obstetric and Gynecologic Ultrasonography and Surgery, PLLC (collectively “DuPont”) against the city and several city officials. DuPont alleges that the city improperly interfered with its potential business operations, resulting in a rescission of its lease and subsequent damages.
The public comments before the council on Tuesday reflect the frustration of several advocacy groups seeking greater transparency and some concrete action on the matter. One group, bhforchoice, is pushing for an independent investigation into the city’s actions, especially its communications with vocal anti-abortion groups. Last November, with the help of the reproductive justice nonprofit The Lawyering Project, bhforchoice submitted a public records request seeking information about those communications.
