Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/19pdf/18-1323_c07d.pdf
Page Number: 98.0

Cite as:  591 U. S. ____ (2020) 

17 

ALITO, J., dissenting 

to Christus Health.  250 F. Supp. 3d, at 68–74.  The plural-
ity, however, argues that Christus would not have granted 
Doe 2 privileges because its bylaws object to abortion prac-
tice.  Ante,  at  25–26.  But  as  noted,  Christus  Health  had 
previously granted privileges to doctors who perform abor-
tions.  Not only did Doe 2 have privileges there while he was 
performing  abortions,  but  Doe  3  has  had  privileges  at 
Christus “off and on” for “30 years” and was reappointed to 
the Christus Health staff in 2012 and again in 2014.  App.
272; Record 12102 (2012–2014); id., at 12112 (2014–2016).
Throughout  this  time,  he  performed  abortions.  App.  206, 
210. 

Attempting to justify Doe 2’s decision not to (re)apply to
Christus, the plurality suggests that Doe 3 (and by exten-
sion  Doe  2)  successfully  concealed  their  abortion  practice
from Christus, and that if Doe 2 had applied for privileges,
Christus  would  have  discovered  that  he  was  performing
abortions and denied his application on that ground.  It is 
doubtful that Christus was actually in the dark, and specu-
lative that an application would have been denied for this 
reason.10  But the important point is that a doctor with a 

—————— 

10 The  suggestion  that  Doe  2’s  abortion  practice  could  have  eluded
Christus  (and  therefore  that  it  would  be  an  impediment  to  obtaining
privileges again) blinks reality.  There is no evidence that the hospital 
was unaware of Doe 2’s abortion practice when he was on staff.  Nor is 
there reason to believe that Christus would not have reviewed Doe 2’s 
professional practice history, Record 12190–12191, or demanded disclo-
sure of past malpractice claims at the time he held privileges there, id., 
at 12194; App. 374 (medical malpractice claim against Doe 2 arising from 
practice at June Medical); see also supra, at 4–7 (reviewing hospital cre-
dentialing).

The notion that Doe 3’s abortion practice has escaped attention for 30 
years is even harder to believe.  Christus has reappointed Doe 3 in recent
years based on a biennial process that assesses “[p]erformance and con-
duct in each hospital and/or other healthcare organizatio[n]” outside of
Christus.  Record 12136; see also ibid. (requiring staff members to sub-
mit “reapplication form [with] complete information to update his/her file
on items listed in his/her original application”).  Doe 3 spends “Thursday