LUBBOCK, Texas, March 15, 2012 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A Texas Planned Parenthood leader has been removed from his post after his arrest for indecent exposure received national news coverage.
Tony Thorton, president and CEO of the Planned Parenthood Association of Lubbock, left his position with the abortion giant two days after he was arrested near the baseball fields in a local park for allegedly exposing his genitals in front of a 43-year-old man. Thorton was arrested and incarcerated Monday afternoon before posting $750 bail late Tuesday morning.
Mariah Sharpe, board chair of the Lubbock Planned Parenthood branch, announced Wednesday that Thorton had been “placed on leave and will no longer serve as the CEO of Planned Parenthood of Lubbock” effective immediately following the incident, and that an interim CEO had already been chosen, according to the Houston Chronicle.
In a statement to the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal late Wednesday, Thorton celebrated his nine years at Planned Parenthood and said that he “deeply regret[s] creating a situation in my personal life that potentially creates a distraction” from Planned Parenthood’s work.
He also apologized to the community of Lubbock and said he would work “to correct any misinformation and take responsibility for errors.”
Sgt. Jonathan Stewart, Lubbock Police Department spokesman, told the Avalanche-Journal he didn’t know whether children were in the area when Thornton was in the park or how many people were present.