Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin has directed state police to probe claims that staff at a Fairfax County school arranged abortions for students without parental consent. Youngkin, a Republican, has instructed the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation to open a criminal investigation, stating his deep concern over the allegations. The probe centers on allegations that Centreville High School staff arranged and bankrolled abortions for girls in 2021, including a 17-year-old, without notifying their parents.
According to reports, school administrators may have known about these arrangements and that public funds were potentially used to finance the abortions, which could include local, state, and federal sources. ‘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 statement.
Following these allegations, the Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) district has launched an internal investigation after learning of the claims. In a previous statement to Fox News Digital, FCPS said, ‘We have serious questions about these allegations that must be answered. At no time would the situation as described in these allegations from back in 2021 be acceptable in Fairfax County Public Schools.’ The district added they have engaged an external investigator to determine the facts and take appropriate action.
However, when asked earlier this month about whether FCPS staff had ever arranged abortions for students, including in this case, the district told WJLA it was not aware of any instances. ‘Not to [our] knowledge. We have launched an immediate investigation into these concerns as soon as we were made aware,’ the district stated.
FCPS policy mandates that every effort be made to encourage students suspecting pregnancy to discuss their concerns with their parents or guardians. However, the policy does not require school employees to inform parents about such discussions. Pro-life groups have condemned these alleged actions, with 40 Days for Life calling the situation ‘state-funded child exploitation’ and demanding accountability for all involved officials.