Listen to the article
A Fairfax County Public Schools teacher filed a lawsuit against the school division Wednesday, claiming she faced retaliation and defamation after alleging staff at her high school helped students obtain abortions without parental consent.
Zenaida Perez, who has served nearly 20 years with the district, announced the legal action at a press conference outside the Fairfax County Courthouse, where dozens of supporters gathered. She was placed on administrative leave after making allegations about school-facilitated abortions for minors that she claims occurred over a three-year period.
“I felt retaliated against, I was absolutely slandered, and they told a lot of things in the media that were absolutely not true,” Perez said. “We will come out with the truth, and we will prevail with honesty.”
The lawsuit accuses the school system of four violations, including breaching the U.S. Constitution and Virginia whistleblower protection laws by retaliating against her. Perez also claims the district made false statements against her and violated her free speech rights. She is seeking a jury trial and $1 million in compensatory damages.
Fairfax County Public Schools has consistently denied Perez’s allegations. An outside investigation commissioned by the district concluded her claims were “likely untrue.” The district did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the lawsuit.
Steven Aden, chief legal officer and general counsel with Americans United for Life, the conservative organization representing Perez, said at Wednesday’s event that the lawsuit aims to “force Fairfax Public Schools to give Mrs. Perez what hasn’t been given to her throughout this whole process — respect and due process.”
Virginia law requires minors to obtain either parental consent or a successful court petition to undergo an abortion procedure, making the allegations particularly serious if proven true.
The controversy began when Perez claimed that in May 2022, a student who had previously obtained an abortion approached her regarding another student who was absent after having a child. According to Perez, the first student suggested the other student could have received assistance from a school social worker to obtain an abortion instead.
The case gained attention when a conservative blog published a handwritten letter purportedly from the student detailing how she obtained an abortion with school assistance. A subsequent legal review by FCPS attorneys noted similarities between the letter’s handwriting and Perez’s own handwriting.
In an October 20 webinar hosted by Americans United For Life, Perez acknowledged physically writing the letter but maintained it was based on information provided by the student, who she said could not write well in English or Spanish and had limited time during a work break.
“She didn’t write it, she was absolutely not well with the writing — she cannot write in English or in Spanish — and she told me she ‘only had 15 minutes for my break,'” Perez explained, referring to the student who was working at a restaurant in Chantilly.
FCPS’s legal investigation claims to have contacted the other student involved (who had a baby) as recently as October 9. According to the district, this student reported feeling supported by the school system in her decision and denied being coerced to get an abortion.
The allegations have prompted multiple investigations beyond the school district’s internal probe. The Virginia State Police launched an investigation at Governor Glenn Youngkin’s request, which remains ongoing. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Education is investigating to determine if federal funds were misused.
Monique Miles, co-attorney representing Perez, expressed concern about her client’s administrative leave status. “We had to put to rest this claim that she had somehow done something unlawful or misled people that is absolutely false,” Miles said.
As the legal process unfolds, the case continues to draw attention to questions about student privacy, parental rights, and the responsibilities of school staff when dealing with sensitive health matters involving minors.
Verify This Yourself
Use these professional tools to fact-check and investigate claims independently
Reverse Image Search
Check if this image has been used elsewhere or in different contexts
Ask Our AI About This Claim
Get instant answers with web-powered AI analysis
Related Fact-Checks
See what other fact-checkers have said about similar claims
Want More Verification Tools?
Access our full suite of professional disinformation monitoring and investigation tools
7 Comments
This is a high-stakes case with significant implications. I hope the legal process can provide clarity and that any wrongdoing, if proven, is addressed appropriately. However, it’s important to avoid rushing to conclusions before all the facts are known.
This is a sensitive and complex issue involving difficult questions around student rights, parental consent, and the role of schools. I hope the legal process can shed light on what happened and ensure any wrongdoing is addressed appropriately.
This is a complex and sensitive issue. I hope the truth emerges through the legal process, though disputes like this often involve difficult tradeoffs. It will be important to balance student privacy, parental rights, and the responsibilities of educators.
Allegations of school staff assisting minors to obtain abortions without parental consent are very serious. However, we should withhold judgment until the full facts emerge through the legal proceedings. A fair and impartial investigation is crucial.
Absolutely, the truth needs to come out, regardless of which side it favors. Transparency and accountability are essential here.
It’s concerning to hear allegations of school staff facilitating minors’ access to medical procedures without parental consent. However, the full facts are still unclear. A fair and thorough investigation is warranted to determine what actually occurred and whether any laws or policies were violated.
I agree, transparency and accountability are crucial here. The public deserves to know the truth, whatever that may be.