The U.S. Department of Education (ED) initiated enforcement action against Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) in Virginia over allegations a staff member arranged students’ abortions without parental notification or consent.
A report broke in August alleging that a school social worker arranged and paid for a 17-year-old student’s abortion without parental consent during the 2021-2022 school year. The staff member also allegedly pressured another pregnant student to have an abortion, telling her she “had no other choice,” but the student ultimately chose not to go through with the abortion.
ED announced on Monday that it is pursuing enforcement action against FCPS by requiring the district to fully investigate the claims and provide evidence that the district is in compliance with the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA). The PPRA is a federal privacy law that protects certain rights of students and parents, including the right of parents to receive notice and opportunity to opt out of non-emergency, invasive physical examinations.
“It shocks the conscience to learn that school personnel in Fairfax have allegedly exploited their positions of trust to push abortion services on students without parental knowledge or consent. Children do not belong to the government—decisions touching deeply held values should be made within loving families. It is both morally unconscionable and patently illegal for school officials to keep parents in the dark about such intimate, life-altering procedures pertaining to their children,” the department’s Acting General Counsel Candice Jackson said in a statement.
“The Trump Administration will not stand by idly as these abuses unfold in our schools. We will take swift and decisive action to put an end to this and restore parental authority, which stems from their ultimate responsibility for their children’s wellbeing,” Jackson continued.
ED ordered FCPS to provide a written response to the agency by Oct. 17, including:
- A copy of Fairfax’s general notice to parents notifying them of their rights under PPRA during the 2021-22 through 2025-26 school years;
- A copy of any policies or procedures in effect during the 2021-22 through 2025-26 school years that relate to non-emergency, invasive physical examinations or screening, and how parents were consulted in the development of such policies and procedures;
- Documentation of any communications, directives, or training materials provided to school staff regarding the handling of sensitive medical services, including abortion-related referrals or procedures;
- Any records related to the alleged incidents of school personnel facilitating the provision of abortion services to minors; and
- A statement explaining whether any U.S. Department of Education funds were used, in whole or in part, in connection with the sensitive medical services, including abortion-related referrals or procedures.
After the report was published, FCPS said it opened an investigation into the allegations. Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) also ordered state police to open a criminal investigation into the claims, saying he is “deeply concerned” school officials may have “misused public funds” to pay for the students’ abortion. U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), who chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, is also demanding answers from the district.
FCPS told Breitbart News via email that it has received the department’s letter requesting information and “welcomes the opportunity to answer the DOE’s questions, based on our ongoing review of these 2021 allegations.”
“We want to reiterate that such conduct would be completely unacceptable in Fairfax County Public Schools,” the district added. “Although there is also an ongoing state police investigation, we are committed to cooperating, to the fullest extent possible, with the DOE’s inquiry. FCPS remains focused on our commitment to academic excellence and opportunity for each and every student in a safe and welcoming environment.”
Virginia state law requires parental consent and notification before a minor can obtain an abortion.
Katherine Hamilton is a political reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on X @thekat_hamilton.
