Shawn Rylatt v. Dr. Dennis Christensen

Thomas More Society represents Shawn and Lisa Rylatt in a zoning dispute in Rockford, Illinois, to protect their residential neighborhood from the improper approval of an abortion facility in a single-family residential area.

In 2022, Dr. Dennis Christensen and Rockford Family Planning Center, LLC, planned to operate an abortion facility at a residential property under a 1981 special use permit (SUP) originally issued for a chiropractor’s home office. With the help of Thomas More Society attorneys, Shawn and Lisa Rylatt challenged the plan, citing zoning violations and issues like noise and reduced property values. Although the Rockford Zoning Board upheld the property approval, the Rylatts appealed. On April 10, 2025, the Illinois Fourth District Appellate Court ruled that the Rylatts have standing to contest the zoning decision, the facility does not comply with the SUP (which allowed only a small-scale, resident-run operation, not a corporate medical facility), and that the Rylatts’ claim to halt the zoning violation requires further review.

The court’s decision supports the ability of residents to protect their neighborhoods from incompatible commercial uses while also reinforcing zoning laws that maintain residential areas as places for family and community life.
The case returns to the trial court for further review of the abortion facility’s zoning approval. Thomas More Society attorneys remains involved to support the Rylatts’ efforts to protect their local community.