CV NEWS FEED // The city of Beverly Hills is embroiled in a legal battle for allegedly stopping a late-term abortion clinic from opening in the city due to concerns about the inconvenience of pro-life protests.
CalMatters reported that DuPont Clinic was set to open in Beverly Hills in 2023. Its reputation as one of the most left-leaning cities in the most pro-abortion state initially led the Washington D.C.-based provider to believe that the town, famous for the lavish residences of Hollywood actors and movie moguls, would support the clinic.
As the provider prepared to move into its new location last year, members of pro-life advocacy group Survivors of the Abortion Holocaust began protesting outside the Beverly Hills office.
Pro-life advocates also spoke at a city council meeting in April 2023, urging the council to stop the clinic from opening. CalMatters additionally reported that at the same meeting, Beverly Hills City Manager Nancy Hunt-Coffey warned council members that “Late-term abortion clinics can be the focus of protests, rallies and unfortunately other more violent actions on occasion.”
According to CalMatters, Councilmember Sharona Nazarian appeared concerned about the possibility of increased protests and action in downtown Beverly Hills, asking Hunt-Coffey how the clinic was approved in the first place.
The city subsequently placed a hold on DuPont’s preparations to move in as it conducted an investigation into whether the building could be used for abortions.
DuPont’s landlord, Douglas Emmett, Inc., eventually rescinded the lease in June 2023, allegedly after the city asked if there was any way to “simply prevent DuPont from opening its clinic.”
“Emails show that in the weeks that followed, city officials, including from the police department, continued to meet with Douglas Emmett representatives about safety concerns and drafted a letter for distribution to other tenants of the building,” CalMatters reported. “It warned that they could face violence, vandalism, harassment and intimidation because an unnamed ‘new reproductive health care provider’ was opening.”
DuPont then sued the city in October 2023, alleging breach of contract, interference, and misrepresentation, according to the Beverly Press. The provider also filed separate litigation against the property owner, Douglas Emmett.
CalMatters reported that the city said it did not make the decision to rescind the lease. Survivors of the Abortion Holocaust has taken the responsibility for stopping the clinic from opening.
The first hearing in the lawsuit was on April 29, 2024. In February, Beverly Hills filed an anti-SLAPP motion, which attempts to dismiss a lawsuit on the grounds that a defendant was exercising free speech rights.
“To respond to the anti-SLAPP motion, DuPont clinic has requested a discovery, or an exchange of information between the two parties in the case, to prove that the city acted in a matter that went beyond truthful freedom of speech,” the Beverly Press reported.
CalMatters reported that a pro-abortion group called Beverly Hills for Choice began trying to raise support for DuPont last summer, but largely failed. Petitions and demands for an independent investigation and new abortion ordinances were ignored by residents. In addition, Beverly Hills for Choice attempted to solicit help from Democratic politicians in the area, but were refused.
The next legal steps in the Beverly Hills lawsuit are unknown at this time.
