Richmond Mayor responds to lawsuit over new Planned Parenthood clinic

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney has responded to the lawsuit filed by the Family Foundation over the recent sale of a city-owned property to Planned Parenthood for a health clinic.

“It comes as no surprise that the Family Foundation, a group of extremists bent on ripping away access to reproductive healthcare from the indigent, is suing the city to do just that,” said Stoney. “Northside is a healthcare desert and the addition of a new Planned Parenthood clinic would meet Richmonders right where they are and provide access to quality, affordable care — including primary care for those without insurance. We look forward to fighting this in court.”

The suit is being filed by the Family Foundation’s Founding Freedoms Law Center on behalf of local psychiatry practice Sheila M. Furey, MD, PC — run by Dr. Sheila Furey. She reportedly spoke before the Richmond City Council in opposition of the sale.

“The City should not have squandered over a million dollars in funding that it could have used for critical services for Richmond residents, like improving our schools or providing real medical services to children in need,” Furey said in an Aug. 14 press release. “Their actions denied my practice and other worthy businesses the opportunity to acquire that property and use it to provide our neighbors with services they actually want and need.”

On Monday July 22, the members of Richmond City Council voted unanimously to allow the sale of the former Brook Hill School, located at 4929 Chamberlayne Avenue, to Planned Parenthood for $10.

According to documents, the lawsuit states the city’s transfer of the former “Brook Hill School” to Planned Parenthood violates the law and others’ ability to bid on the property. Family Foundation President Victoria Cobb said the property is better suited to solve other city problems.

“Given the needs of homelessness [and] mental health [patients], this certainly is not the greatest need of the city and absolutely could be better served in other ways,” Cobb said. “Citizens must know that their leadership is accountable and transparent to follow the law, and that is what is best done by the residents. And when you have businesses that are boxed out of a process because the City Council has a pet project, that’s the opposite of what I think residents are voting for.”

Third District Councilwoman Ann-Frances Lambert, who represents the area, said the city is already working to address those needs in her neighborhood.

“We do have the first inclement weather shelter that’s in the Third District,” Lambert said. “Chamberlayne has become a corridor of mental health services that are in desperate need in our city. So, at the end of the day, we’re doing all that we can to address these issues.”

According to officials, the $6 million, 10,000-square-foot clinic will provide family planning, primary care, cancer screenings and gender-affirming care services with subsidized fees to make care affordable for those without health insurance.

Lambert said the health services provided by Planned Parenthood would make physical health a priority and that the process to select them as the recipient for the property was fair.

“Folks who were interested had about two years if they wanted to put in a bid on this property,” Lambert said. “We passed the ordinance, we need affordable health care in our district and I did not receive a lot of pushback about it.”

8News reached out to the Virginia League of Planned Parenthood, which declined to comment because the organization is not directly named in the lawsuit.

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