The U.S. Department of Education’s Student Privacy Policy Office (SPPO) has started an enforcement action against Fairfax County Public Schools following reports that school staff may have facilitated abortion services for students without parental notification or consent.
The investigation focuses on incidents from the 2021-22 school year at Centreville High School. According to reports, a social worker allegedly scheduled an abortion appointment for a 17-year-old student, paid clinic fees, and instructed the student not to inform her parents. In another case, a second student was reportedly pressured by the same social worker to undergo an abortion and was directed to the same clinic, though she did not proceed with the procedure.
Under the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA), schools are required to notify parents about any invasive physical examination and provide them with an opportunity to opt their children out of such procedures.
U.S. Department of Education’s Acting General Counsel Candice Jackson stated: “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 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.”
To determine if these practices are ongoing, SPPO has asked Fairfax County Public Schools to investigate and respond in writing by October 17. The requested documentation includes copies of parental notices regarding PPRA rights from 2021-22 through 2025-26, policies related to non-emergency invasive examinations or screenings during those years, materials provided to staff on handling sensitive medical services including abortion referrals or procedures, records related to the alleged incidents, and statements clarifying whether federal education funds were used in connection with these services.
PPRA is a federal law enforced by SPPO that gives parents certain rights concerning notice and opting out of non-emergency invasive physical exams or screenings required by local educational agencies as a condition of attendance when scheduled in advance and not necessary for immediate health or safety concerns.
The Secretary of Education holds authority under federal law (20 U.S. Code § 1232h(e)) to enforce compliance with PPRA regulations.
