By Cheryl Sullenger
Sharonville, OH – For those who have been actively opposing abortion for a number of years, reading a recently-posted Internet ad offering a non-descript commercial building for sale in the Cincinnati suburbs is almost an emotional experience.
Last week, the infamous Ohio late-term abortionist Martin Haskell put his Sharonville abortion building up for sale.
“This is a sign of victory for those of us who fought for years to close Haskell’s abortion notorious late-term abortion mills,” said Troy Newman, President of Operation Rescue. “The ‘for sale’ ad for his Sharonville abortion facility is proof that united efforts to expose wrongdoing in the abortion cartel, enact laws and demand enforcement can work to make a community abortion free, no matter how strong or powerful an abortion business appears.”
For 32 years, Haskell has operated his nationally-known abortion facility in the Cincinnati area. While he also operates another abortion clinic in the Dayton area that specializes in the grisly late-term abortion procedures that he helped develop, Cincinnati is the city Haskell calls home and the clinic he operated there for over three decades was his daily place of business, making that location especially significant.
Once located near a large university campus, in 2010 Haskell moved his Women’s Med Center abortion clinic to a more modern office in the Cincinnati suburb of Sharonville. That move angered local residents and neighboring medical professionals, who were offended that Haskell had moved his abortion business to their community. Even the mayor of Sharonville declared Haskell’s facility a Danger to the public” and worked diligently to close Haskell’s operation in his town.
“We saw the Sharonville community unite with state and national pro-life groups to expose wrong-doing at Haskell’s abortion facility and work through the system to bring his business to a close,” said Newman. “Just a few years ago, no one would have thought closing Haskell’s abortion headquarters was even possible. Today, it is reality. Within four years of his relocation to Sharonville, Haskell is out of business there. It’s an amazing testimony to the success of unified, goal-oriented pro-life work.”
Haskell’s downfall was a law that requires abortionists to maintain transfer agreements with local hospitals in the event of medical emergencies. Haskell was not able to obtain such an agreement, yet was allowed to operate for years on a variance that excused him from the safety requirement as long as he maintained an approved agreement with at least two other physicians who could provide hospital care to women seriously injured during Haskell abortions.
Not only did Operation Rescue document a number of ambulances at Haskell facilities and publish incriminating 911 recordings obtains through public records requests, but their research uncovered the fact that the physicians with which he had emergency care agreements were a troubled lot that had suffered discipline in neighboring states and/or had been sued for medical malpractice numerous times.
After altering his emergency agreements without the required approval of the Ohio Department of Health, earlier this year Haskell’s variance renewal was denied and his facility license revoked. Haskell sued to overturn the revocation, but his last defeat in court in August finally forced him to halt abortions in Sharonville.
“The system provides pro-life supporters ample tools to end abortion. Demanding the enforcement of existing laws that we all know abortionists will never obey can end abortion no matter who sits in the White House or what the composition of the Supreme Court might be,” said Newman, who recently published a book, Abortion Free, which outlines how to use peaceful, legal means to shut down abortion businesses.
Currently, Haskell continues to operate his Dayton clinic on a variance similar to the one that was denied in Sharonville. Approval of his most recent variance renewal is pending.
“We will keep praying and working to close Haskell’s remaining abortion facility. Even though shutting down Haskell’s late-term abortion business once seemed an unattainable dream, we know that it can be done, and the ‘for sale’ ad posted for his Sharonville office is an encouraging sign that proves it.”
This news is just in: Late-term abortionist Martin Haskell has lost a bid to overturn an Ohio Health Department order to close his facility because it does not meet minimum requirements for licensure. Below is a release from Greater Cincinnati Right to Life, which has been working with Operation Rescue to expose wrongdoing at that facility and close it down.
