One morning at Centreville High School, English as a second language teacher Zenaida Perez received an unexpected visit from a distinguished lawyer. The lawyer had come to the northern Virginia school to investigate claims that Perez had publicly accused a school social worker of pushing and funding a student’s abortion in 2021.
Michelle Reid, superintendent of the Clifton school district, addressed these claims the following day, asserting that the school was only just made aware of the potential issue. Last Thursday, Reid communicated with Centreville High School parents via email, assuring them that the district took “immediate action to hire an external independent investigator to gather all facts.”
About a week after a meeting in May 2022 with Lehman, Perez sent a follow-up email to the then-principal on May 13, 2022. In this email, she repeated that the school social worker had allegedly assisted the student with her pregnancy concerns.
Perez had another recorded discussion with Lehman in November, which she shared with Fox News Digital. She questioned him about what he meant when he previously said the abortion allegations were “concerning.” Lehman replied: “I can’t recall the statement or its context, so I’m not able to respond to your question currently. I don’t remember any specific conversation about that.”
She reminded Lehman of her earlier letter expressing her concerns. Upon mentioning the allegations once more about Diaz aiding in an abortion, Lehman stated he didn’t believe the social worker in question would have arranged an abortion for a student.
Julie Perry, another teacher at Centreville High School, recalled first meeting Perez outside Room 222A on the school’s second floor. This was around 7:45 a.m., as students rushed to their first classes. Perry had recently ran unsuccessfully on the Republican ticket in a largely Democratic state House of Delegates district.
“I feel strong. I have truth and God on my side.” – Zenaida Perez
“God bless Zenaida for fighting through this,” said Perry. “What’s so sad are the higher-ups. They’re not concerned about the truth. They’re concerned about keeping silent about these abortions.”
On March 7, Perez told McGowan that she raised her concerns again – now, for a sixth time – in a Zoom call with Heidi Siegmund, an attorney at McGuireWoods, a law firm based in Richmond, Va., investigating a separate issue of alleged workplace harassment at the school.
On March 19, Siegmund wrote to Perez and said: “We will also make sure the Division Counsel’s office is aware of your concerns,” according to a copy of the email.
The division counsel’s office has for years hired lawyers from Blankingship & Keith as outside counsel.
In May, Perez says she learned more shocking news: A teen told her that the social worker had offered to help her get an abortion when she was five months pregnant. The teen didn’t have an abortion and is now a young mother, Perez said.
The young mother wrote a statement about her experience, according to a copy of the letter, written in Spanish, saying a school health provider “gave me the option to have an abortion.” Perez said the student told her the same social worker had given her the advice.
Last week, as news of her allegations spread, Perez watched in disbelief as the school superintendent, Reid, claimed that school district officials had just learned about the concerns Perez had raised three years earlier and many times over.
Early Monday morning, Perez returned to Centreville High School from summer break, armed with new resolve now that her warnings have been heard beyond Fairfax County Public Schools.
“I feel strong. I have truth and God on my side,” she said.
