Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Wednesday ordered the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation to open a criminal investigation into allegations that Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) officials arranged and paid for abortions for minors using school funds without parental consent.
"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," the governor, a Republican, said in a statement, reports The Washington Examiner.
"I am directing the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation to open a full criminal investigation into the matter immediately," he added.
According to Virginia law, minors must obtain written parental consent from at least one parent, legal guardian, or another "authorized person" before undergoing an abortion.
If a minor is unable or unwilling to involve a parent, they may petition a juvenile and domestic relations district court judge for a judicial bypass.
The judge may grant the bypass if it is determined that the minor is mature enough and well-informed to understand the procedure, or if the abortion is in the minor's best interest.
The governor's office said the move followed reports that school staff allegedly coordinated abortion procedures and covered the costs.
The probe comes after two former students alleged that in 2021, a school social worker scheduled abortion appointments, paid for them, and did not inform their families.
FCPS said earlier this month that it had launched its own internal investigation. In a statement to ABC affiliate WJLA, the district said it would "fully cooperate" with the state police probe but could not comment further because it is a personnel matter.
Fairfax County Superintendent Michelle Reid said in a letter to the school community that the conduct described in the allegations "would be unacceptable" in the district.
"I want to stress that at no time would the situation as described in these allegations be acceptable in Fairfax County Public Schools," Reid said. FCPS is the largest school system in Virginia and among the largest in the United States.
Youngkin expressed support for the district's internal review but said the allegations warranted a criminal investigation. He also emphasized that parents should be involved in significant decisions affecting their children.
Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, a Republican, said she supports the state investigation. Democrat gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger has not commented on the probe but has previously supported a constitutional amendment protecting abortion rights in Virginia.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.