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A federal judge has dismissed a Centreville High School teacher’s lawsuit accusing Fairfax County Public Schools of retaliating against her after she alleged that school employees helped minors obtain abortions without parental consent.
In a 15-page opinion issued May 8, U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga found that Zenaida Perez had not presented facts that could plausibly support a whistleblower-retaliation claim, even when her allegations were viewed in the most favorable light.
The senior judge for the Eastern District of Virginia also examined whether the Fairfax County School Board was immune from certain claims, whether officials had the right to act against Perez, and whether the school division defamed her or violated her constitutional right to speak about a matter of public concern.
Perez went public in 2025 with allegations that a colleague and other school employees used school funds to help minors obtain abortions in violation of Virginia law. Staff members reportedly approached two minors, one of whom allegedly underwent the procedure while the other did not.
Perez said she raised the matter with then-principal Chad Lehman and other employees in 2021 and 2022 but received no meaningful response. Lehman later told her that both the guidance counselor at the center of the allegations and the student had denied the claims.
The controversy drew national attention and became an issue in Virginia’s November gubernatorial election. The Senate Health, Education and Labor Committee and the U.S. Department of Education announced investigations in September.
Virginia State Police also opened an investigation at the direction of then-Gov. Glenn Youngkin. A police spokesperson confirmed that the case remains open and active.
An internal FCPS investigation conducted by the law firm King & Spalding largely rejected Perez’s account when its findings were released in October. Perez soon filed a civil lawsuit against the school division and individual employees, seeking $1 million in damages and legal expenses over alleged discipline and retaliation. The case moved to federal court in February.
Trenga concluded that FCPS and the individual defendants had acted reasonably. He wrote that none of the investigations cited in the case had substantiated Perez’s allegations and that officials could reasonably have determined that the school system’s interests outweighed her speech interests.
The judge also noted Perez’s alleged failure to provide Lehman with evidence she said she possessed, which was instead made public years later through a political blogger’s report.
Americans United for Life, which helped represent Perez, said it was disappointed but continued to consider possible legal options. Steven H. Aden, the organization’s chief legal officer and general counsel, said Perez’s attorneys remained confident that the continuing federal and state investigations would ultimately vindicate her.
FCPS welcomed the dismissal, saying the ruling eliminated all claims against the School Board, superintendent and other division officials. The school system said the decision supported its longstanding position that Perez’s allegations lacked a basis and would allow employees to concentrate on students’ education and well-being.
The division also thanked Centreville High School’s leaders and employees for remaining committed to the school community during the dispute and said it considers the matter closed.