Allegations that Fairfax County Public Schools employees helped students obtain abortions without their parents’ consent have drawn Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s attention after circulating for days on right-wing media.
The Republican governor directed the Virginia State Police yesterday (Wednesday) to open a criminal investigation into FCPS based on the report, which was originally published in the Substack-based newsletter WC Dispatch.
“I am deeply concerned with the allegations that Fairfax County Public Schools officials arranged for minors to get abortions without parental consent and may have misused public funds to pay for them,” Youngkin said in a press release. “I am directing the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation to open a full criminal investigation into the matter immediately.”
Written by Walter Curt, who’s currently serving as the National Conservative Caucus’ Ohio state director and previously worked as editor-in-chief of the Breitbart News offshoot America Mission, the report alleges that a social worker at Centreville High School assisted two underage students with the process of getting an abortion, in both cases without informing their parents.
One unnamed student allegedly confirmed that the social worker helped her schedule an appointment and paid for the procedure in 2021 when she was 17. Another student in 11th grade ultimately decided not to get an abortion and told one of her teachers that she felt coerced, the WC Dispatch said.
The report claims that Centreville’s principal at the time was aware of the incidents, citing unidentified “sources,” and that “multiple students” wrote statements saying school administrators tried to “bait” the teacher into policy violations after she spoke up.
The teacher and social worker are both still employed at Centreville High School. Principal Chad Lehman was appointed executive principal of Region 5 by FCPS in the fall of 2024.
After previously indicating that it has hired “an external investigator” to look into the allegations, FCPS said yesterday that it will “fully cooperate” with the police investigation but is unable to comment further on personnel matters.
“We are prepared to fully cooperate in the state police investigation into these 2021 allegations,” FCPS said in a statement. “As this is an ongoing personnel matter, we are unable to comment further at this time. We remain focused on preparations for the start of the school year — with a focus on academic excellence and opportunity for each and every student in a safe and welcoming environment.”
Under Virginia law, physicians are prohibited from performing abortions on unemancipated individuals who are under 18 without either written consent from an “authorized person” — a parent, guardian or another recognized adult caretaker — or a court order. However, there are exceptions for cases where there’s a medical emergency or the physician believes the minor is abused or neglected.
Judges can authorize an abortion without the consent of a parent or guardian if they determine the minor is “mature enough and well enough informed” to make the decision on their own, or if it would be in the child’s best interest. The judge can also sidestep the requirement that the physician notify an authorized person of the intent to perform an abortion if one or more of the child’s caretakers are abusive or neglectful.
Youngkin’s administration has targeted FCPS with investigations multiple times during his four-year tenure as governor, including over its handling of notices for National Merit Scholarship commendations and changes to the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology admissions process.
FCPS is also facing pressure from the U.S. Education Department to rescind its policies supporting students based on their gender identity, which are the subject of an ongoing lawsuit from American First Legal, the nonprofit founded by Trump adviser Stephen Miller.
