An abortion services provider that specializes in so-called 'late-term' procedures is preparing to sue Beverly Hills officials for allegedly conspiring with anti-abortion activists to force it out of the city.
DuPont Clinic notified the city Monday of damage claims, the Los Angeles Times reports. The filing is a precursor to a civil lawsuit.
DuPont leased the property on Wilshire Blvd. in September 2022 and says it spent millions of dollars renovating. There was an immediate outcry from the pro-life community. Activists described the clinics’ late-term services as “barbaric,” noting that the clinic does "not require any particular ‘reason’" for performing these procedures.
As protests mounted, DuPont claims city officials began pressuring the landlord to get out of the lease. The company says the city even sent a letter to other tenants about possible disruptions and vandalism in order to frighten them. The other tenants complained and, ultimately, the landlord rescinded the lease.
However, Deputy City Manager Keith Sterling told The Times that the landlord’s decision was not made under pressure from the city. The letter sent to tenants about possible protests was supposed to be informative and included police contact information, the city said.
Sterling does acknowledge officials met with anti-abortion activists about the facility, but insists “there was no agreement.”
Read more about the allegations and the city’s response here.