The New York Times recently published an exposé revealing the dire conditions inside Planned Parenthood locations nationwide. From botched abortion procedures to severe staff shortages and deteriorating facilities, the report painted a disturbing picture of an organization more focused on political activism than anything resembling actual care for pregnant women. And yet, despite these documented failures, Planned Parenthood is expanding its influence beyond abortion—directly into Pennsylvania’s school system and local elections.
Abortion is Not Healthcare
The Times article detailed numerous mother and child victim horror stories, including failed abortions, improperly placed birth control devices, and dangerously inadequate training among staff. One particularly tragic case involved a woman who underwent an abortion at a Planned Parenthood location, only to later deliver a wounded baby who died shortly after birth because the abortion was not fully completed. This heartbreaking event underscores the brutal reality that abortion, at its core, is never healthcare—it is the intentional ending of an innocent human life. The fact remains that no matter how “clean” or “well-run” a Planned Parenthood facility may appear, the end result is always the same—an unborn child is killed.
Beyond this, the report highlighted accounts of women suffering lasting harm from botched procedures and negligent services. A New York woman sued Planned Parenthood after an IUD was incorrectly implanted, leading to nerve damage and severe pain. In Nebraska, a clinician mistakenly inserted an IUD in a woman who was four months pregnant, resulting in a stillborn delivery. Other patients reported receiving incorrect STI test results due to administrative errors, leading to untreated infections and prolonged health complications. One former employee, Ashley Schmidt, revealed that abortion staff often lacked basic medical supplies, stating, “We’re begging for supplies, and we get denied constantly because they just can’t afford it.” These are not the marks of a healthcare organization prioritizing women’s well-being.
The NY Times report also exposed unsafe and unsanitary facilities conditions. At a Planned Parenthood facility in Omaha, Nebraska, raw sewage seeped into the abortion recovery room for two days while patients were still being treated there. Employees had to shove exam table pads under the door to block the leak, while patients were left vomiting from the stench. The Times also described an incident at a facility in Iowa where broken air conditioning left the temperature in the 90s for weeks, forcing staff and patients to endure unbearable conditions. Yet, despite these ongoing crises, Planned Parenthood executives continue to falsely claim they are providing care.
PA Family Institute has written before and shown that Pennsylvania has suffered from a long history of abortion facilities with failed health inspections. Remember, these facilities went uninspected for years until the “House of Horrors” run by Kermit Gosnell was discovered in Philadelphia.
But while their abortion facilities suffer from neglect, Planned Parenthood is flush with political cash. In 2022 alone, it received nearly $500 million in donations, yet instead of directing these funds toward helping or serving women, the organization prioritized lobbying, legal battles, and political activism. Much of this money has gone to funding the campaigns of pro-abortion candidates and now, alarmingly, to influencing school board races across Pennsylvania.
Planned Parenthood’s Troubling Expansion into School Boards
As we reported earlier this year, Planned Parenthood’s recent post-election webinar in Pennsylvania revealed its growing interest in school board elections, a relatively new initiative for the organization. In 2023, it made its first school board endorsements in the Manheim Township School District in Lancaster County. All of their endorsed candidates won.
Now, Planned Parenthood is preparing to expand this effort statewide. If successful, it will allow the organization to push its radical agenda in schools—overriding parental rights and influencing what children are taught about sex, gender, and reproductive health.
What’s at Stake for Our Children?
We need only look at their current involvement in schools to understand what Planned Parenthood’s growing influence in education would mean for Pennsylvania’s children. Investigative journalist Meg Brock recently exposed how Planned Parenthood has already embedded itself into the Reading School District, providing sex education programs that undermine parental authority and promote their ideological agenda.
If Planned Parenthood’s influence grows, we can expect:
- Sexualization of Children: Graphic, ideologically driven sex education will be introduced at younger ages, with Planned Parenthood providing “resources” that encourage harmful, inappropriate sexual experimentation.
- Gender Ideology Indoctrination: Planned Parenthood actively promotes the anti-science belief that gender is fluid and that children should have access to permanently damaging puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones without parental consent.
- School-Based Locations Pushing Reproductive Services: Under the guise of “healthcare,” Planned Parenthood could establish so-called clinics within schools, promoting abortions, and even harmful gender transition propaganda and help to minors—without parents’ knowledge.
The Political Agenda Driving This Movement
Planned Parenthood has long used its political war chest to elect officials who will keep taxpayer funding flowing into its coffers. In Pennsylvania, both Governor Josh Shapiro and former Governor Tom Wolf received Planned Parenthood’s endorsements and financial support. In return, Shapiro repaid the favor by canceling the state’s long-standing pro-life alternatives program, further solidifying the organization’s power and influence.
And while activists and the minor biased fake-news sites dismiss parental concerns as mere ‘culture war’ issues and falsely accuse parents of being divisive, consider this: a Parents Defending Education poll found that an overwhelming majority of parents—across political and racial lines—oppose schools withholding information about a child’s gender identity and reject policies allowing biological males to compete in girls’ sports or access female bathrooms and locker rooms. In fact, 75% of parents oppose schools keeping gender transitions secret from them, and 78% oppose biological males competing in girls’ sports teams.
Further reinforcing this point, a New York Times/IPSOS poll—from a publication far from being conservative—found that a unified 79% of Americans believe transgender female athletes should not be allowed to compete in women’s sports. These overwhelming majorities across various polls demonstrate that opposition to radical gender policies that Planned Parenthood is pushing is a mainstream concern shared by most Americans across the political spectrum. This is not about division; it’s about communities and parents standing united to safeguard their children’s well-being and rights.
How You Can Fight Back
We cannot afford to be passive spectators as Planned Parenthood extends its reach into our schools and local governments. Here’s what you can do:
- Attend School Board Meetings: Stay informed about what is being taught in your district and respectfully speak out against Planned Parenthood’s influence. Likewise, be vocal in celebrating and thanking school boards that have done the right thing in passing policies that protect girls’ privacy, safety and fairness in sports.
- Stay Vigilant: Sign up for our email alerts, and follow investigative reporting, like Meg Brock’s work, to understand where and how Planned Parenthood is infiltrating schools.
- Show up and vote in School Board Elections: The 2025 elections will be critical. Identify and support candidates who will stand against Planned Parenthood’s agenda and protect parental rights.
- Engage with Other Parents: Spread awareness within your community. Many parents are unaware of the radical agenda being introduced under the guise of “comprehensive sex education.”
We know Planned Parenthood is failing and hurting women, but that hasn’t stopped it from trying to shape the future of Pennsylvania’s children. The revelations from the New York Times should serve as a wake-up call. If Planned Parenthood’s entire business model is built on ending innocent lives, why should we trust them to have a say in our children’s education?
This is a critical moment. The fight to preserve parental rights, protect children from harmful ideology, and keep radical, harmful political organizations out of our schools begins at the local level. Show up. Speak out. And most importantly, vote.
