(Washington, D.C.): U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, recently submitted a letter to Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid regarding allegations of minors coerced into abortions by district employees brought forward by Americans United for Life (AUL) client Mrs. Zenaida Perez, an ESOL Teacher at Centreville High School.
Following the call of Governor Youngkin, the Virginia State Police are already investigating the claims of Mrs. Perez, but AUL welcomes the support of Senator Cassidy in order to bring federal scrutiny to the investigation and ensure pregnant girls within the public school system, in Fairfax or elsewhere, are never subjected to coerced abortions and parental rights are upheld. Senator Cassidy has committed to ensuring federal funding is not used to pressure minors into “covert abortions” without parental consent required by Virginia law.
“We thank Senator Cassidy for bringing prompt attention to the matter that our client has stated made her subject to discrimination and retaliation by school officials,” Steven Aden, Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel for AUL, stated. “The public education system does not have a right to usurp the right and role of parents to make important health decisions for their children and should empower, not punish, teachers and staff who want to ensure these rights as well as the children remain protected.”
Sarah Zagorski, Senior Director of Public Relations and Communications for AUL, added, “Parental consent laws like the one in Virginia are imperative to ensure vulnerable and impressionable girls like those at Centreville High School are not harmed by personal political agendas of those who support abortion. We must support women in their vulnerabilities and empower them as mothers they already are, not coerce them into the trauma of abortion.”
