Overview: Four Days On January 31, 2012, Planned Parenthood went public about losing grants and funding from Susan G. Komen.

Four days later, Susan G. Komen reversed their decision.

The Organizations

Susan G. Komen for the Cure

Planned Parenthood Federation of America

Planned Parenthood Services

Abortions, 3%

Other, 1%

Key Events

September 15, 2011Americans United for Life (AUL) convinces Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-FL) to open an investigation of Planned Parenthood for alleged misuse of federal funds

April, 2011Susan G. Komen for the Cure hires Karen Handel as VP of Public Policy

Key EventsEarly 2011

New policy that precludes organizations under any sort of local, state or federal investigation from receiving funds

Other grant recipients currently under federal investigation continue to receive funds

Right-wing affiliations• Susan B. Anthony List

Jane Abraham who was elected as a member of the 2010-2011 Susan G. Komen board of directors is chairman of the Susan B. Anthony List.

• Nurturing NetworkAbraham also helps direct Nurturing Network, a network of crisis pregnancy centers that has been investigated for spreading misinformation and lies, and coercing and intimidating women.

The crisis goes publicFebruary 1, 2012 – Planned Parenthood announces the end of grant funding from Susan G. Komen

“We are alarmed and saddened that the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation appears to have succumbed to political pressure. Our greatest desire is for Komen to reconsider this policy and recommit to the partnership on which so many women count.” Cecile Richards, President of

Planned Parenthood

Public Outcry

Increased donations to Planned Parenthood

Social media backlash

Internal resignations

Social media platformFebruary 1, 2012

Supporters and detractors begin speaking out on Facebook, Twitter and through the media

Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood speaks out:

“It's hard to understand how an organization with whom we share a mission of saving women's lives could have bowed to this kind of bullying”

Komen finally speaks

On February 2, Nancy G. Brinker, founder of Susan G. Komen, released a statement:

“We're always looking at our policies and procedures to be sure that we are doing the right thing for our supporters and the women we serve.”

Hypocrisy Penn State University

University of Texas at Austin

University Alabama at Birmingham

Duke University Medical Center

University of California at San Francisco

Attempt to diffuse the situation

February 2, 2012 Facebook post by Susan G. Komen for the Cure

An internal crisis

Mollie Williams, managing director of community-health programs and grants for Susan G. Komen, resigns in protest

February 2, 2012

Anonymous protestFebruary 2, 2012

Susan G. Komen website is hacked

(“Help us run over poor women on the way to the bank”)

The retraction February 3, 2012 – Damage control

Saving face

Handel resigns

More Resignations• Katrina McGhee, executive vice president and

chief marketing officer

• Nancy Macgregor, vice president of global networks

• Joanna Newcomb, director of affiliate strategy and planning

• Dr. LaSalle D. Leffall Jr., chairman of the foundation’s board of directors

The fallout continues

http://youtu.be/nFwk54j05Ts[Please watch]

Pink Ribbons, Inc. A documentary by producer R. Din

The fallout continues“What the chorus of critics is pushing back against is broader in scope: an emphasis on optics over integrity, crass commercialism and the infantilization of the female experience into something fashionable, cheerful or sexy. As a number of pundits and commentators put it, the events of last week make it clear that for more and more American women, “pink stinks.”

– Washington Post, February 9, 2012

Alignment

“Corporations must take into account how their actions impact employees, the environment, and the communities in which they operate” – Michelle Amazeen

Hearing VoicesWhich voices within the organization to hear?

Pro-life Pro-choice

A-political

Ethical Responsibilities

“…original desire was to fulfill our fiduciary duty to our donors…”

- Leslie Aun, Head of communications for Susan G. Komen for the Cure

Ethical Perspectives

Ethics of Care

Aristotle and virtue

Cost analysis

ReferencesDin, R. (Producer), & Pool, L. (Director). (2012). Pink Ribbons, Inc. [Motion picture]. United States: First Run Features.

Goldberg, J. (2012, Feb. 2). Top Susan G. Komen Official Resigned over Planned Parenthood Cave-In. TheAtlantic.com. http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/02/top-susan-g-komen-official-resigned-over-planned-parenthood-cave-in

Galloway, J. (2012, Feb. 7) Karen Handel resigns from Komen for the Cure. ABC News Blog. Retrieved May 1, 2012 from http://blogs.ajc.com/political-insider-jim-galloway/2012/02/07/karen-handel-resigns-from-komen-for-the-cure/.

Jacobson, J. (2012, Feb. 1) The cancerous politics and ideology of the Susan G. Komen Foundation. http://www.rhrealitycheck.org/article/2012/01/31/with-anti-choice-tea-partier-in-charge-komen-says-no-cure-planned-parenthood-cl-0.

Holmes, A. (2012, Feb. 9). Detailing the problems of ‘breast cancer culture.’ Washingtonpost.com. Retrieved April 25, 2012 from http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/detailing-the-problems-of-breast-cancer-culture/2012/02/09/gIQA3DiT2Q_story.html.

Kliff, S. (2011, Feb. 16) Mike Pence’s war on Planned Parenthood. Politico. Retrieved May 1, 2012 from http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0211/49609.html.

References

Tan, T. (2012, Feb. 4). How Komen and Planned Parenthood Broke Up, Then Made Up – In 3 Days. Storify.com. Retrieved April 30, 2012 from http://storify.com/thanhtan/komen-for-the-cure-drops-support-for-planned-paren.

Stengle, J. (2012, March 22). Susan G. Komen execs resign: At least 5 officials leave after Planned Parenthood controversy. Huffington Post. Retrieved May 2, 2012 from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/22/susan-g-komen-execs-resign-planned-parenthood_n_1373891.html.

Mielach, D. (2012, Feb. 9). Was it ethical for Susan G. Komen to flip-flop? Retrieved April 25, 2012 from http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/2006-ethical-flip-flop.html.

May, S. (Ed.) (2013). Introduction. In Case Studies in Organization Communication: Ethical Perspectives and Practices. (pp. 1-32). Los Angeles: Sage Publications, Inc.

Serwer, A. (2012, Feb. 2). Komen’s $7.5 million grant to Penn State appears to violate new policy. Mother Jones. Retrieved May 4 from http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2012/02/komen-foundation-gave-75-million-grant-penn-state.

Ryan, E.G. (2012, Feb. 3). An accounting of Komen’s impressive financial hypocrisy. Jezebel. Retrived May 4 from http://jezebel.com/5881802/an-accounting-of-komens-staggering-financial-hypocrisy.