Live Action, a pro-life new media organization founded by UCLA alumna Lila Rose, released undercover videos this month allegedly showing Planned Parenthood employees advising sex traffickers of underage prostitutes.
Planned Parenthood is questioning the legitimacy of the recent videos.
Actors hired by Live Action went into clinics in 11 states and posed as sex traffickers asking for medical care and abortions for underage prostitutes. Planned Parenthood alerted federal authorities of suspicious activity related to a possible multi-state sex trafficking ring after the incidents, according to a statement.
In one video released on Feb. 1, a New Jersey clinic manager recommended to an actor that he lie about the ages of his underage prostitutes in order to avoid reporting by Planned Parenthood. She also gave him advice on securing inexpensive contraceptives.
The New Jersey clinic manager was fired by Planned Parenthood the same day the undercover video was made public, citing her “repugnant” behavior.
“We were deeply disturbed by the actions of the New Jersey employee … our first duty is to our patients,” said Sam Wald, spokesman for Planned Parenthood of Los Angeles. “We have a zero-tolerance policy for this kind of behavior, and we are now retraining our entire staff on our reporting policies.”
The UCLA branch of Live Action was not involved with the undercover videos, although they support the national group’s actions.
“I don’t think Planned Parenthood is an innocent organization. They are out to make money,” said Andrew DeGiorgio, president of UCLA’s branch.
“Hopefully there will be some inquiry and skepticism about (Planned Parenthood).”
These recent videos are among other undercover recordings Live Action has released in the past denouncing Planned Parenthood. As a second-year student at UCLA in 2007, Rose videotaped an employee of the Planned Parenthood of Los Angeles advising her to lie about her age so she could get an abortion without having the situation reported, according to Daily Bruin archives.
Rose posted the videos on YouTube, but she later removed them after Planned Parenthood threatened legal actions on the grounds that the recordings were unlawful.
The videos, which were taped without the consent of the clinic employee, violated the California Invasion of Privacy Act.
With the release of videos this month, Planned Parenthood stated it believed Live Action doctored the recordings in order to discredit the organization.
The release of the recordings comes at the same time as debates in Congress over legislation that would eliminate funding for Title X, a family planning program.
Planned Parenthood receives funds from Title X for family planning services and preventive health care, including contraceptives and cervical cancer screenings, but not abortions, Wald said.
Although the elimination of Title X would affect all health care services women receive from Planned Parenthood, UCLA Live Action hopes the undercover videos will influence decisions over the legislation.
“My hope is that (the videos) can spark a discussion … about what is going on at the root of these organizations,” said Theresa Bowman, a fourth-year history student and external vice president of UCLA Live Action. “I hope it sparks a debate about how each of these organizations is trying to help women.”
Rose declined to comment.