Bowling Green State University Student Charged with FACE Act Violation

United States Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko, Wood County Prosecuting Attorney Paul Dobson, and Bowling Green Police Chief Tony Hetrick announced today that a federal misdemeanor charge under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, was filed by information against Whitney M. Durant, a.k.a. Soren Monroe, age 20.

The FACE Act (18 U.S.C. § 248(a)(3)), prohibits a person from intentionally damaging or destroying the property of a facility because that facility provides reproductive health services. According to the information, on April 15, 2023, Durant intentionally damaged the property of HerChoice, a pregnancy care center located in Bowling Green, Ohio, by defacing the clinic’s building with spray paint because the clinic provides reproductive health services. Durant is a Bowling Green State University Student.

An information is only an allegation and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violations. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum of one year incarceration.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Angelita Cruz Bridges and Wood County Prosecutor Paul Dobson, who is also a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, following a joint investigation by the Bowling Green Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.