Trustee asked to resign position

Indiana Right to Life, an anti-abortion group, has called for the resignation of IU Trustee Clarence Boone because of his past affiliation with Planned Parenthood of Northwest Indiana where he was executive director until 1998.\n"We believe his presence on the board gives undue influence to an organization that operates an abortion clinic just a few blocks from the Bloomington campus," Mike Fichter, Indiana Right to Life's executive director told The Associated Press.\nBoone, a retired physician from Gary, has also admitted to performing abortions in the course of his 40-year career. He was appointed to the board in July by Governor Joe Kernan. \nBoone has defended his credentials and his appointment to the board.\n"In my career as an obstetrics-gynecology physician, I treated many patients and performed a wide variety of medical procedures, including termination of some pregnancies," Boone told the AP. "Now that I have retired from medical practice, I am dedicating my time and energy to my service as a trustee of Indiana University."\nBoone was not available for further comment to the Indiana Daily Student. \nBill Stephan, vice president for University relations and corporate partnerships, said Boone's credentials and Gov. Kernan's decision to appoint Boone are sound reasons to have him on the board of trustees.\n"Dr. Boone is someone who has a long and rich history at IU, since being a student in the 1950s and 1960s," Stephan said. "The governor of the state of Indiana appointed Boone to the board of trustees and the institution respects the prerogative of the governor to represent the University and state's interests."\nFrederick Eichhorn, president of the IU board of trustees, expressed similar sentiments regarding Boone.\n"Clarence Boone has devoted many years of devotion to IU and that is what we (the board) are looking at," Eichhorn said.\n-- Contact staff writer Eric Tash at etash@indiana.edu .