A public school teacher was fired for secretly taking a student to get an abortion during school hours, according to a government investigation by New Hampshire’s Department of Education.
The situation was first referenced by Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut in an April op-ed, in which he described complaints from parents and educators about misconduct and leftist political agendas being pushed in schools. He cited instances of teachers drinking on the job, counselors encouraging students to transition without involving parents, a student with a Trump flag labeled as a white supremacist, and encouragement of Black Lives Matter and LGBT content for kids.
“How should the Department respond when… allegedly, an educator lies by calling in sick so they can take a student – without parental knowledge – to get an abortion[?] Should we turn a blind eye?” he asked.
After the Boston Globe criticized Edelblut for making this “abortion claim without evidence,” Edelblut released the investigative report showing the teacher was fired. Information about the school, as well as the names of the student and teacher, are redacted.
According to the report, the teacher said they had food poisoning and called out of work sick. While out for the day, the teacher “escorted a current student to a medical appointment during school day hours.”
The teacher admitted to lying about being sick and taking the student, and was placed on administrative leave.
“[T]hey had been conversing with the student for 2.5 weeks regarding the medical appointment,” the report states. “[The teacher] told the student to determine how far along they were (and assisted them) so the student knew what options they’d have available.”
The teacher also helped find the facility for the abortion so “they knew it was a safe facility” because “the student didn’t have anyone to support them.”
New Hampshire law requires parents to be informed 48 hours before a minor seeks an abortion unless a judge says otherwise, according to Planned Parenthood. It is unclear if the student was under 18.
Edelblut’s office was informed of the situation on October 18. The teacher was fired, though the dates of the termination are redacted in the report.
Local Republican lawmakers told the New Hampshire Journal they were outraged that parents were not informed.
“I am horrified to hear that a teacher in our New Hampshire schools felt the right way to help a pregnant student who felt unsupported in her pregnancy was to research abortion facilities and call out sick to take a student to an abortion rather than to help her speak with her parents and find support from her family,” said state lawmaker Erica Layon.
“Keeping secrets or going behind a parent’s back is never good public policy,” said Republican state lawmaker Tim Lang.
“It’s not good for the child, either. It teaches children, by the actions of ‘trusted adults,’ it’s OK to be deceptive, which is not creating good citizens for our future,” Lang told the Journal.
Edelblut did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
