Anonymous wrote:
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Anonymous wrote:I am still not clear exactly what it is alleged that these parents did.
There is a requirement to tell parents or legal guardians at least 24 hours before a minor has an abortion, and to get their consent notarized. But that seems to be the responsibility of the abortion provider. Of course, if the FCPS employee lied about the students' age, or counseled the student to lie, or helped them forge consent, or presented themselves as the parent, then that's probably illegal.
If the social worker paid with school funds, that's also illegal.
Transporting students anywhere is likely a violation of school policy, but not necessarily illegal.
But I am pretty sure that a student talking about abortion, has a right to confidentiality in a therapeutic relationship like that between social worker and her client. The social worker needs to break confidentiality and call CPS if there is evidence of abuse, and if they didn't that's a violation of mandated reporting laws. But otherwise, I'm not sure the social worker has the obligation to tell the parents, and their professional ethics may not allow them to tell the parents. The abortion provider was the one to tell the parents, although again, if the social worker deceived the provider about the students' age, or posed as parent, then that's a problem again.
I think more information needs to come out to know exactly which, if any, laws were broken, and by who.
Again. There are ways around it. But, the school should not have been the way. It should have been CPS.
If the social worker had reason to believe that the girl had been abused by a family member or school staff, or was at risk for abuse, then yes. But otherwise no. A 17 year old is legally able to consent to sex, and even if the sex was not consensual, that is a matter for the police not CPS barring parent/teacher involvement.
Referring a teenager over the age of consent who is asking for an abortion to a clinic that has professionals on staff with experience guiding young people through either telling their parents or getting judicial approval seems like an appropriate way to handle a situation.
Coercing a kid who doesn’t want an abortion, paying for the abortion with school funds, helping the kid misrepresent their age or whatever they did to get around parental notification — all those things are wrong. But it is not yet clear if those things happened.
No. The school should turn it over to CPS. It is not the job of the school system.
You keep posting over and over about referring to CPS. Child Protective Services has no role to play in a 17 year old's pregnancy. There is nothing to report unless the 17 year old reports abuse. 17 is consenting age.
This is yet another political setup.
DP. CPS might not be the appropriate agency, but here is FCPS regulations on counseling pregnant students. As you can see, they make it crystal clear that in NO WAY should FCPS staff have any influence over a student's decision and in NO WAY should any of this be kept from the parents:
III. GUIDELINES
School counselors, school social workers, school psychologists, and other staff members
shall be aware and follow the guidelines below regarding counseling pregnant students and
distributing literature about pregnancy, birth control, venereal disease, and private and public
agencies providing services for pregnant students.
A. Every effort shall be made to encourage and support students suspecting pregnancy to
discuss their concern with their parents or guardians. Offers may be made to meet jointly
with the parents or guardians and the student at school.
In no case shall personnel commit
themselves to maintain such information confidentially, keeping it from parents, guardians,
or appropriate school authorities.
B.
If a student requests counseling services or is considered to be in need of such services,
school staff members should refer the student to the public health nurse or Fairfax County
Department of Health and avoid influencing the student regarding the pregnancy.
https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/files/BE5NKY60460E/$file/R2504.pdf