About Dr. Boyd
Dr. Boyd is a primary care physician who advocates for full access to reproductive health options in a primary care setting.
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Letter to the Search Committee- A Call for Action
To the staff and supporters of Planned Parenthood,
I am writing to the search committee as they consider the next president of Planned Parenthood. As a reproductive health physician and as a survivor of the shooting that occurred at Planned Parenthood in Colorado Springs in 2015, I am profoundly concerned about the future leadership of this valuable organization.
Unfortunately, in the aftermath of the shooting, Planned Parenthood has mistreated and forgotten the survivors. I am reluctant to say this publicly, but my efforts to address these issues internally have gone unacknowledged. I am a strong supporter of Planned Parenthood. I want to see the organization thrive and live up to its mission. I say this as the physician who was working the day of the shooting. I raised concerns about safety many times before the shooting. Immediately after the shooting I was placed on leave. Ultimately, although I wanted to return to work, I was terminated.
As for the other survivors, their stories are as diverse as their treatment by Planned Parenthood. While some are recovering well, many have struggled emotionally. One described to me the difficulty of returning to unannounced mock active shooting drills, complete with simulated gunfire, after spending five very real hours, trapped in that same clinic weeks earlier, with a live active shooter pacing outside the door. Another described the sound of pneumatic nail guns (which sound eerily like real gunfire) a regular part of the work day as construction continued on the clinic to repair damage from armored vehicles ramming into the lobby to breach it. Those who filed workers’ compensation claims, arguably those who need the most recovery support, have been treated as enemies of the organization to which they bravely served. And this only briefly touches on the hardships they are enduring. How many layers of leadership failed for these events to occur... and how do we correct those deficiencies?
I have no doubt that many in Planned Parenthood would like me to remain silent. But I believe silence is a disservice to those employees who risk their lives every day assuring that women have access to safe, legal abortion services. We should acknowledge the risks involved with employment at Planned Parenthood, honor our staff for making that choice in the face of the risks, and promise our staff and patients that every reasonable measure is taken to ensure their safety and protection.
We all wish that the shooting in Colorado Springs never happened, and want to believe that it can’t or won’t happen again. The reality is that Planned Parenthood does important work that is not universally regarded that way, and therefore will always be a target for disruption. The staff and patients of Planned Parenthood deserve leaders that are equally courageous—ones who publicly support survivors, and who won’t disown, distance, and cover up incidents for fear of media attention or political backlash.
Further, it is vitally important that staff members know, should an event of this magnitude occur again, that the leadership is committed to their healing and recovery. Sadly, that is not the legacy of the 2015 shooting in Colorado Springs.
I ask that you not forget or neglect the staff working on the front lines. Please consider:
Reaching out to survivors of the shooting to ascertain their current needs. Don't permit the organization to provide the bare minimum. Survivors should be remembered and cared for until their healing is complete.
Removing their fear of telling their stories. While it can be difficult to share due to the potential backlash from anti-abortion groups, there should never be a concern of litigation from Planned Parenthood.
Aligning the resources, should such a tragic event occur again, that will ensure employees the proper care, from the moment after the event throughout various stages of healing.
My hope is that we truly understand and rectify our failings, security deficiencies prior to the shooting, and the subsequent mistreatment of survivors in the time since. I challenge the search committee to find a leader who will create a better, safer, and more trustworthy environment for all of those providing vital services to the patients that Planned Parenthood cares for.
I hope you will join me in supporting these goals.
Sincerely,
JT Boyd, MD
Survivor of the Mass Shooting at Planned Parenthood in Colorado Springs in 2015.
#PPLeadersWeDeserve
What You Can Do
Supporters and donors of Planned Parenthood, please reach out to the governing boards and ask for answers. Share your concerns about the treatment of the survivors of the 2015 mass shooting in Colorado Springs and ask what upcoming leadership will do to support them moving forward.
Planned Parenthood Federation of America
800.430.4907
212.261.4601
Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains
303.813.7638
Board President Rich Rinaldi Email:
rich@civicore.com
Spread the word... please forward the link to this website to anyone interested in supporting the survivors and demanding answers for their treatment following the mass shooting.
If you would like to support reproductive health options for women until Planned Parenthood takes responsibility for the proper care of it's employees, go to the "support" page and see the many organization and providers doing the work.