In July we told you that Commonwealth Court issued a strong, unanimous panel opinion in Crocco v. Pennsylvania Department of Health, affirming the ruling of the Office of Open Records that the names and license numbers of abortion providers are exempt from disclosure under the Pennsylvania Right to Know Law pursuant to that law’s personal security exception.
WLP represented nine non-hospital Pennsylvania-based abortion providers whose information and safety were at stake in this case.
Now, the deadline to appeal has passed. This case is officially closed.
We were successful in defending the information of doctors, staff, and even boards of trustees from the Chicago-based activist group Pro-Life Action League’s inappropriate and potentially dangerous attempt to obtain personal information.
“This is a victory for abortion providers in Pennsylvania and beyond,” says WLP attorney Susan J. Frietsche, who argued the case on June 3 in Commonwealth Court in Philadelphia. “We are living through a dangerous time, where providing evidence-based reproductive healthcare all too often makes a person the target of harassment. In fact, research shows targeted harassment of doctors and patients continues to rise, and that the anti-abortion movement is becoming increasingly sophisticated about exploiting technology. We must fight efforts to intimidate and harass doctors, patients, and staff whenever and wherever we witness it.”
The Women’s Law Project is a public interest law center devoted to defending and expanding the rights of women, girls, and LGBTQ people in Pennsylvania and beyond.
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