Mother Sues Over "Wrong" Sperm

Last week, Jennifer Cramblett sued Midwest Sperm Bank because of a mix-up that led Jennifer to become pregnant with the sperm of a black man, not the sperm donor that she and her partner had chosen as the biological father of their child. This law suit has caused immense controversy primarily because people assume that Cramblett and her partner are angered over the race of their daughter. In reality, however, the two mothers are suing the sperm bank- rightfully, in my opinion- simply because they were given the wrong sperm. This is understandable and justifiable for many reasons.

Cramblett and her partner are suing the sperm bank with the intentions of proving someone accountable for the mistake. Their attorney stated that "since the sperm bank is responsible for the mix-up, the bank should be held financially accountable." This is completely rational. The two

Jennifer Cramblett and daughter Payton

parents have the right to be upset, not because of the fact that their child is of a different race, but because they did not know. What if they had been given the sperm of someone with a genetic disorder? What if there were complications that Cramblett and her partner were unaware of? 

This lawsuit inevitably becomes an issue of race, but should it?