Planned Parenthood Southeast CEO pushes back on allegations

Earlier this month, a group of former and current Planned Parenthood Southeast staff and board members launched a website and Instagram account making a range of claims about interim President and CEO Mairo Akpose. Those claims allege Akpose expressed conservative views on gender identity and that she is not fully supportive of Planned Parenthood’s stances on reproductive rights.

In a statement Wednesday, Akpose said her Christian faith “grounds my belief in bodily autonomy and reproductive freedom — in every person’s right to access quality, compassionate care, including abortion care, and to receive accurate information that empowers them to make the best choices for their lives.”

“When the board asked me to serve as interim CEO, I became the fifth leader of Planned Parenthood Southeast in less than four years,” Akpose said in the statement. “Over the past 15 months, I have led with care and intention to strengthen and stabilize PPSE, significantly decreasing the deficit I inherited and improving our financial standing for long-term sustainability.

“Under my leadership, we have expanded access to care, resulting in a nearly 30% increase in patient volume year over year — a four-year high and a testament to the dedication of our staff and trust our patients place in us,” she said.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution asked a public relations agency handling Planned Parenthood’s communications for documentations of Akpose’s stated accomplishments but did not immediately hear back.

Former and current employees say they want Akpose, those she hired and the board of the organization’s nonprofit arm, which approved Akpose’s hiring, to resign. Akpose said she welcomes the investigation.