Teacher says ‘truth’ will emerge in suit against Fairfax Schools over assisted abortions claims

by Nathaniel Cline and Charlotte Rene Woods, Virginia Mercury
October 30, 2025

A Fairfax County Public Schools teacher announced Wednesday she is suing the school division after nearly 20 years of service for allegedly retaliating and defaming her after she said staff at her high school paid for students’ abortions without their parents’ consent.

Fairfax County Public Schools lawyers’ internal probe refutes school-assisted abortion allegations

Zenaida Perez, the FCPS teacher, was placed on leave by the division after her claims about school-facilitated abortions for minors that she said occurred over three years. FCPS has denied the claims and an outside firm that investigated the case concluded Perez’ allegations were “likely untrue.”

Virginia law requires minors to obtain either parental consent or a successful court petition to undergo the procedure.

Dozens of supporters gathered outside the Fairfax County Courthouse on Wednesday morning to show their support for Perez. The press conference also featured speakers from Americans United for Life, a conservative organization that Perez retained for legal counsel, and others sharing information about pregnancy centers, emphasizing informed consent and alternatives to abortion.

“I feel hopeful that justice will be served,” Perez said, adding that she has faith in her lawyers and God that the truth will prevail. 

“I felt retaliated against, I was absolutely slandered, and they told a lot of things in the media that were absolutely not true,” she added. “We will come out with the truth, and we will prevail with honesty.”

Fairfax County Public Schools did not respond immediately to requests for comment. 

Teacher’s claims

Fairfax’s school system is facing four accusations that it violated the U.S. Constitution and Virginia whistleblower protection laws by retaliating against Perez. Perez also said the system made false claims against her and violated her free speech protections.

“We filed this lawsuit in order to put a stop to all of that and to force Fairfax Public Schools to give Mrs. Perez what hasn’t been given to her throughout this whole process — respect and due process,” Steven Aden, chief legal officer and general counsel with AUL, said on Wednesday. “Our judicial system is the foundation of civil society because it requires all sides to an argument to make the case under oath before a jury of their peers, not hiding behind high-powered lawyers in the press.”

Monique Miles, co-attorney representing Perez, added that it “saddens” her to see her client on administrative leave for doing her job.

“We had to put to rest this claim that she had somehow done something unlawful or misled people that is absolutely false,” Miles said.

Perez is seeking a trial by jury and $1 million for all compensatory damages. No trial date has been set. 

On Oct. 20, Perez joined a webinar hosted by Americans United For Life to talk about the allegations from Fairfax. 

She explained how a student who’d allegedly previously obtained an abortion approached her in May 2022 regarding another student who was absent after having a child. The first student, Perez said, expressed how the other student could have tapped a school social worker for help. 

Perez described spending the summer pondering the situation before reconnecting with the student who’d allegedly had an abortion in the fall. Perez said the student outlined how she’d obtained the procedure with the assistance of a school social worker. 

Perez also addressed a handwritten letter purportedly from the student that was featured in an August article in a conservative blog that first reported the allegations against the school. 

A recent legal review, lawyers for Fairfax County Public Schools noted similarities in the handwriting of the letter and Perez’ own handwriting. 

In the webinar with Americans United For Life, Perez admitted that she physically wrote the letter, but asserts it was informed by the student who’d had the abortion. 

“She didn’t write it, she was absolutely not well with the writing — she cannot write in English or in Spanish — and she told me she ‘only had 15 minutes for my break,’” Perez said of the student, who was working at a restaurant in Chantilly at the time they spoke about the allegations. 

Meanwhile, FCPS’s legal probe claims to have contacted the other student who had a baby as recently as Oct. 9 of this year and who said they felt supported by the school system in their decision and was not coerced to get an abortion.. 

Amid Perez’ lawsuit and FCPS’ probe, a state police investigation is still underway to look into matters further.

The U.S. Department of Education is also investigating the claims to determine if federal funds were misused. A Virginia State Police investigation into the allegations against the school system, begun at the behest of Gov. Glenn Youngkin, is ongoing.

GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.

SUBSCRIBE

Virginia Mercury is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Virginia Mercury maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Samantha Willis for questions: info@virginiamercury.com.