Suing Planned Parenthood | Morning Newsletter
And Jalen Hurts’ $255 million contract extension 🦅
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Back in 2021, Planned Parenthood Federation CEO Alexis McGill Johnson wrote a 2021 New York Times op-ed vowing to expunge systemic racism within the organization. Its founder, Margaret Sanger, had white supremacist ties and believed in eugenics.
But even as Planned Parenthood was confronting its racist past, employees of color were suffering from alleged racial and ethnic discrimination at various affiliates.
Our lead story follows one case out of many against the reproductive health giant.
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— Taylor Allen (@TayImanAllen, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
Michelle Fisher, a Black nurse practitioner, remembers her white manager at Planned Parenthood’s Bellmawr clinic often berating her. Once, Fisher says, the manager thrust urine samples on her desk with such force that it splashed on her.
After she was laid off in spring 2021 in what she believes was retaliation for filing multiple discrimination complaints to human resources, Fisher sued the Planned Parenthood of Northern, Central and Southern New Jersey in May 2022. The case is ongoing.
Some of Fisher’s allegations include:
Fisher said she was harassed and intimidated for asking questions about medical protocol and patient cases, while her own medical expertise was discounted.
She also said was routinely assigned to clinics farther from her home and required to work more hours compared to white nurses with less experience.
The scope: Over the past five years, discrimination lawsuits have been filed by at least two dozen former and current employees of Planned Parenthood’s 49 affiliates, which employ thousands across the country and are a leading source of reproductive health care in almost every state, according to an Inquirer analysis of publicly available national case databases.
In court records and interviews with The Inquirer, employees said they faced racist comments from coworkers and were held to a different standard than white colleagues. Many said supervisors were more critical of their work, while valuing their contributions less, compared to white coworkers.
Continue reading for more from my colleague Sarah Gantz about racial and ethnic discrimination other former employees say they have faced for years.
What you should know today
Lehigh River is listed as one of the “most endangered” rivers in the country due to rampant warehouse developments.
New Jersey cannabis regulators voted to allow Curaleaf to continue selling recreational marijuana in the state, reversing an earlier decision.
New age restrictions began at the Fashion District Monday. Minors who want to go to the mall after 2 p.m. now must be accompanied by a parent or supervising adult.
An Urban Institute survey found that white male homeowners are overrepresented on land-use boards. Researchers said the findings raise questions about whether zoning and other land-use boards are reflecting the desires of their communities when making planning decisions.
The Center City Jazz Festival will return this week after a three-year COVID hiatus.
A year after crypto’s crash, Philly Bitcoin believers hold on to hope. 🔑
We have your guide to Philly’s 2023 Democratic primary. And if you want a deeper dive into the top candidates for mayor, we have a compiled list for that too.
Star quarterback Jalen Hurts and the Eagles have agreed on a five-year contract extension worth up to $255 million, including $179.3 million in guaranteed salary.
Hurts, 24, is expected to receive $110 million guaranteed at signing. The deal also includes the first no-trade clause in franchise history.
Note: The extension, worked out by Hurts’ agent, Nicole Lynn, is not only believed to be the biggest contract ever negotiated by a female agent, but also the largest in Eagles history. 🔑
The deal makes Hurts the second highest-paid player in NFL history in terms of guaranteed salary behind only Deshaun Watson’s five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed deal with Cleveland.
Keep reading to learn more details about the historic deal.
🧠 Trivia time 🧠
How much did a sealed copy of Rocky on VHS sell for?
A) $25,600
B) $27,500
C) $28,000
D) $5,000
Find out if you know the answer.
What we’re...
📱 Anticipating: Inquirer reporter Anna Orso on Reddit today at 1 p.m. for an AMA about the Philadelphia mayor’s race. She’ll answer questions about the candidates, their various paths to victory, and where they stand on issues that matter to you.
🌿 Sharing: Everything you need to know about weed laws in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram 🧩
Hint: Where to go for a plethora of African cuisine options in the city
DELANO UNAVOWED
We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Send us your own original anagram to unscramble if you’d like. Cheers to Gina Dukes, who correctly guessed Monday’s answer: La Colombe. Email us if you know the answer.
Photo of the day
And that’s it from me. I’ll be back in your inbox bright and early tomorrow.