Fla. boy's circumcision spurs lengthy legal battle, protests

BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. — An estranged Florida couple’s fight over whether to circumcise their son has become a rallying cry for those who denounce the procedure as barbaric.

The dispute between the one-time Palm Beach County couple has sparked a prolonged court battle, protests and the rapt attention of a movement of self-proclaimed “intactivists.”

The mother initially agreed to the circumcision, but later decided she opposed it. The father favors the procedure.

Judges have ruled in favor of the father, meaning the surgery is likely, but anti-circumcision advocates have made the case their cause celebre and organized a series of protests.

Circumcision rates have fallen in the U.S., but a majority of boys still undergo the removal of their foreskin.

MATT SEDENSKY, Associated Press