Twenty-six couples filed a lawsuit against California fertility doctor Dr. Brian Acacio and his clinic for secretly moving hundreds of frozen embryos from his clinic in Laguna Niguel to Bakersfield without the patients' consent[1][2]. The transfer of the embryos took place around December 17, 2025, when the clinic was facing eviction for owing more than $240,000 in rent[1][2]. The Medical Board of California suspended Acacio's license in December 2025 following allegations of cocaine and marijuana use and a psychological test that revealed a mental condition impairing his ability to safely practice medicine.[2][3] Despite the suspension of his license, Acacio continued to treat patients and perform medical procedures, including ultrasounds and embryo transplants, in January 2026[2][4]. The clinic refused to return the embryos to the patients unless they signed documents releasing it from responsibility for transport and storage[1][2]. Patients only found out about the transfer of embryos when they were trying to schedule a transfer or learned about it through social media or from other patients[2].