Jul 16, 2019

Planned Parenthood ousts president Leana Wen

Orion Rummler

In this image, Wen stands and speaks at a rally — Leana Wen, former President of Planned Parenthood, on May 23, 2019. Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images

Planned Parenthood's board voted to oust and replace its president on Tuesday, the New York Times reports.

Driving the news: Alexis McGill Johnson, co-founder of the anti-bias research group Perception Institute, was unanimously voted as Dr. Leana Wen's temporary replacement, per the Times.

The big picture: The Trump administration enforced a rule overnight Monday restricting "taxpayer-funded family planning clinics from referring women for abortions," including Planned Parenthood, per AP. Some of the most restrictive abortion laws in generations are currently spreading across America's red states.

Details: Wen, a former emergency room doctor and Baltimore City health commissioner, reacted publicly on Tuesday and released a statement claiming that Planned Parenthood ended her employment "at a secret meeting." She had only been in the position for 8 months, writes the Washington Post.

Wen said she was engaged "in good faith negotiations" with the organization about her departure "based on philosophical differences over the direction and future of Planned Parenthood."

Go deeper: State abortion restrictions spark a renewed culture war

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Planned Parenthood ousts president Leana Wen

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