Fairfax County Public Schools says allegations that staff members at Centreville High School helped students obtain abortions in 2021 are false.
In a January 9 letter to Centreville High School staff and families, FCPS superintendent Michelle Reid said that FCPS’ external counsel investigation had concluded. “The available facts appear to confirm that these allegations are not only untrue but were based largely on statements that were misinterpreted, mistranslated, taken out of context, or in some cases knowingly fabricated,” Reid said.
Background
In August 2025, a published report alleged that Centreville H.S. staff members helped two minors obtain abortions without parental consent. The story included images of written statements from the two students alleging a school social worker scheduled the procedures in 2021.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin then directed the Virginia State Police to open a criminal investigation into the allegations. The U.S. Department of Education also launched an investigation.
In an October 16 letter to Centreville High School staff and families, Reid said: “FCPS is fully cooperating with these government investigations … Our external investigation is still ongoing, but new details have emerged providing a clearer picture of what happened. Based on the interim findings, which are deeply concerning, these 2021 allegations are likely untrue. We have an obligation to protect our staff from wrongful and unjustified accusations.”
ABC7 reported that the Centreville High School teacher who made the allegations has been placed on leave. In October, that teacher, Zenaida Perez, filed a $1 million defamation lawsuit against FCPS.
In a legal supplemental statement regarding the lawsuit, FCPS said that, “the additional information Mrs. Perez and her lawyers have shared lends no additional credence to her claims and at most appears to raise new doubts and inconsistencies.”
FCPS Investigation Conclusion
In her January 9 letter, Reid stated that the FCPS investigation “found no credible evidence of any actual wrongdoing by school staff or administrators. As important as it was to take these allegations seriously, we also believe we have a duty to be transparent about our findings and, regrettably, it appears that innocent CHS personnel in this case were wrongly and publicly accused of criminal acts without any sound factual basis. This situation has had a significant impact on those involved, and it reminds us of the responsibility we all share to act thoughtfully and compassionately as a caring, connected community.”
Reid’s letter also said that FCPS had shared the findings of this investigation with the DOE and Virginia State Police.
Feature image, stock.adobe.com
