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Planned Parenthood Is Told to Show Children's Files
Judge Kenneth Johnson ruled yesterday that Planned Parenthood of Indiana must comply with the state's request for the medical records of 84 patients under the age of 14. "Under Indiana law, anyone under 14 who is sexually active is considered a victim of sexual abuse, and health providers are required to report such cases to the state authorities," according to The New York Times.

"The great public interest in the reporting, investigation, and prosecution of child abuse trumps even the patient's interest in privileged communication with her physician, because in the end, both the patient and the state are benefited by the disclosure," Judge Johnson, of Marion Superior Court, wrote.

Planned Parenthood vowed to fight the decision and said it would not turn over the medical records. But state officials argued that they need to determine if Planned Parenthood, which is a Medicaid provider, failed to report child abuse.

Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline, who is fighting a similar battle with Planned Parenthood, is watching the court fight in Indiana, writes the Associated Press. He "has been accused of conducting a fishing expedition in seeking access to the records of 90 patients from Dr. George Tiller's clinic in Wichita and the Overland Park clinic operated by Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri."

Judge Johnson ruled that turning over medical records to state prosecutors does not violate the constitutional protection against invasion of privacy and unreasonable searches. Kline spokesman Jan Lunsford said the attorney general is "encouraged by the Superior Court judge in Indiana's ruling, given that our case is very similar."

Hammering back
Millard Fuller launched his new homebuilding organization this week. The Fuller Center for Housing is the new name for Building Habitat, which Fuller founded after being ousted as CEO of Habitat for Humanity.

Habitat sued Fuller for using its name, so Fuller changed it rather than fight a lawsuit. "We do not want to use our resources and our time and our energies to fight somebody in court over a name, and we don't want them using their resources for that reason either," Fuller said.

In his new venture, Fuller said he expects to do "a lot of the same work with a lot of the same people." "This new organization is going to support Habitat affiliates and other nonprofit housing groups," he told The Birmingham News. "I did not get fired by local affiliates. I'm going to continue to support local Habitat affiliates. We will raise money and dispense the money in grants to build houses all over the world."

He dismissed the sexual-harassment allegations arose at the time of his firing. "The whole thing was a bogus deal from the get-go," he said. "I named the organization. When I was booted out, I was the only CEO Habitat had had in 29 years. Then they started talking about getting rid of me because I wasn't a good leader. I was named CEO of the year by Non-Profit Times, and we built homes for a million people in 3,700 locations. How do you define a good leader?"

The Americus Times Recorder says Fuller "wants to make sure the Fuller Center for Housing keeps strong and caring Christian values. He wants the new organization to be a shining light of God's love and inspiration."

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RLUIPA ruling:

• Supreme Court rules in Ohio prison case | The Supreme Court ruled unanimously on Tuesday that a new federal law requiring prison officials to meet inmates' religious needs is a permissible accommodation of religion that does not violate the separation of church and state. (The New York Times)

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June (Web-only) 2005, Vol. 49