Trump targets Virginia schools over allegations of staff-arranged student abortions without parental consent
The Trump administration on Monday ordered Fairfax County Public Schools to investigate whether employees facilitated abortions for students.
The Department of Education’s Student Privacy Policy Office (SPPO) announced in a statement that it has launched an enforcement action against Fairfax County Public Schools under the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA).
"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," U.S. Department of Education’s acting general counsel Candice Jackson said.
She added, "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 Trump administration cited reports that a Centreville High School social worker scheduled an abortion appointment for a 17-year-old student and paid the clinic fees without permission from the student’s parents during the 2021-22 school year.
The administration alleged that the social worker pressured another student to have an abortion, "with the social worker reportedly telling her she ‘had no other choice’ and directing her to the same clinic for an abortion procedure, which the student did not ultimately undergo."
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Fairfax County Public Schools in August reportedly launched an investigation into accusations that school staff arranged abortions for students without notifying their parents, according to local reports.
School administrators may have known the staff-arranged abortions were happening, and school funding may have been used, which could include local, state and federal funds, according to reports.
Last month, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, R., directed state police to open a criminal investigation into allegations that a Fairfax County Public Schools staff member arranged abortions for students without parental consent, potentially using public money.
Schools are required to notify parents of physical examinations and allow parents to opt their children out of such a procedure due to the PPRA.
The SPPO wants Fairfax County Public Schools to provide a written response by Oct. 17 containing several demands. The office wants the district to show any proof of school staff regarding the handling of "sensitive medical services" related to "abortion-related referrals or procedures" and a statement explaining whether any Department of Education funds were used, "in whole or in part, in connection with the sensitive medical services, including abortion-related referrals or procedures."
The department also wants the district to disclose "any records related to the alleged incidents of school personnel facilitating the provision of abortion services to minors."
"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 said.
Fairfax County Public Schools sent Fox News Digital the following statement.
"FCPS has received the latest Department of Education (DOE) letter requesting information, and welcomes the opportunity to answer the DOE’s questions, based on our ongoing review of these 2021 allegations," a spokesperson said.
"We want to reiterate that such conduct would be completely unacceptable in Fairfax County Public Schools. 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," the statement added.