It’s back-to-school season here in Virginia. Like many parents, I just sent my daughter off to high school, hoping she would have a safe environment to learn and grow. Instead, Virginia parents like me were hit with the shocking news that in one of our state’s most affluent counties — Fairfax County — public school officials allegedly pressured and tried to pay for at least two teenage girls’ abortions—without their parents’ knowledge or consent. This is a parent’s worst nightmare.
As first reported by journalist Walter Curt, the high school allegedly sent the girls to abortion facilities and may have even used school funds to pay for the procedures. One girl, reportedly five months pregnant, was told she “had no choice.” Thankfully, she fled the abortion facility in time, and both she and her baby are safe. But what if she hadn’t escaped?
Fairfax County Public School officials claimed they only recently learned of the accusations. But audio from a whistleblower teacher—who raised concerns repeatedly over the years—indicates a long-running cover-up by FCPS leaders.
The allegations have become too big to ignore. Thankfully, Gov. Glenn Youngkin rightly launched a criminal investigation. I’m hoping they can get to the bottom of what happened to those two girls, their parents and anyone else we may not know about. Are there even more potential crimes? This is of intense public interest.
And yet, at last night’s Fairfax County School Board meeting, the school board devoted only a few minutes for residents to air their concerns despite the crowd of concerned parents and citizens assembled outside demanding answers. The Board didn’t even place the issue on the agenda and allowed only two members of the public to speak on it. Transparency was replaced with stonewalling and accountability with evasion.
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As one resident shared, these girls were vulnerable and in need of guidance and resources. Instead, they were put in harm’s way by the very people entrusted with their education and safety.
As Virginia parents, we demand to know, are these allegations of abortion trafficking true? And how many other parents have been left in the dark while schools shuttle their daughters to these facilities. Are our daughters safe at school?
As parents, we shouldn’t have our rights stripped away. But there’s even greater context here that many are missing.
This horrific scandal unfolds just as Democrats in Virginia push to end parental rights for abortion completely. In January, the General Assembly’s Democratic majority passed a resolution to amend the state constitution to allow all-trimester abortion, eliminate parental consent, erase health protections for women and girls, and force taxpayers to fund abortion. If they retain control after this November’s election, they will put this dangerous amendment on the ballot. And with a governor’s election looming, we need to know where Democrat and gubernatorial candidate, Abigail Spanberger, stands on this issue. But instead of directly answering on parental rights, she completely evaded the question when asked by CBS News.
With elections coming up soon, this could become the norm with no recourse. We can’t let this amendment end parental rights and become our reality statewide. Whether you’re pro-life or pro-choice, or don’t know where you stand on the issue of abortion, almost everyone can agree that parents should not be left in the dark about their children’s biggest decisions. In what scenario would any parent be okay with their child being taken for a risky medical procedure involving anesthesia and surgery without their consent? This isn’t just a breach of trust—it’s a violation of fundamental parental rights.
Sadly, Virginia schools are becoming synonymous with the trampling of parental rights. They have a track record of shutting out parents and hiding vital information.Loudoun County’s parental rights controversy became a lightning rod in Virginia politics before Glenn Youngkin’s election.
Groups like Women Speak Out Virginia are already mobilizing, with more than 100 field workers reaching 150,000 voters in Richmond and Virginia Beach to ensure parents know what’s at stake. We’ve been here before: in 2021, Virginia parents rejected overreach, elected a new House of Delegates and put Glenn Youngkin in the governor’s office. We must stand up again.
This parental rights scandal is not an isolated story. It’s the latest warning sign in a years-long pattern of Virginia schools choosing secrecy and ideology over parental involvement and child safety. If we do nothing, this radical amendment will enshrine that secrecy in our state constitution, giving activists more power to override families.
Our daughters deserve better. And our families deserve transparency and protection. And this November, voters must send a clear message: in Virginia, parents—not politicians, bureaucrats, or school officials—decide what’s best for our kids.
Emily Erin Davis is Vice President of Communications at Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America.
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