Education Dept. orders Fairfax County schools to investigate abortion claims

The U.S. Department of Education ordered Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) to investigate claims that a school social worker helped a high school student get an abortion during the 2021-2022 school year.

The department said Monday that it initiated an enforcement action against the school district under the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA). The department says the action follows claims that a “Centreville High School social worker reportedly scheduled an abortion appointment for a 17-year-old student, paid the required clinic fees, and swore the girl to secrecy without informing the student’s parents.”

A department also cited a claim that “a second student was allegedly pressured by the social worker 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.”

Under the PPRA, “schools must notify parents of an invasive physical examination and allow parents to opt their children out of such a procedure,” the department said.

“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,” Department of Education Acting General Counsel Candice Jackson said in a statement.

The department said FCPS must investigate and provide a written response by Oct. 17.

FCPS already launched its own internal investigation and hired an outside law firm to investigate. On Aug. 13, 2025, Gov. Glenn Youngkin asked Virginia State Police to investigate as well.

FCPS said in a statement Monday: “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. 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.”