An Ohio appeals court upheld on Thursday a previous ruling that frozen embryos are not people. This decision was based on an Ohio law that states that an embryo is considered a person only if it can survive outside the womb.

The decision was taken following lawsuits filed for the destruction of 4,000 frozen embryos as a result of temperature fluctuations due to malfunctioning of the storage tanks at two fertility centres in Cleveland in March 2018. About a hundred families have filed lawsuits.

An attorney for the couple Rick and Wendy Penniman said that he will appeal Thursday’s ruling to the Ohio Supreme Court.

For further reading:

Embryos accidentally thawed: 8 more families are suing

United States – funeral service for embryos destroyed as a result of freezer malfunction

Embryos accidentally frozen in Ohio – are these classed as persons?