By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist
Controversy is raging over the role a Seattle high school played in helping a 15 year-old student obtain an abortion during school hours, telling her that the procedure would be free if she concealed it from her parents.
According to KOMO News, the mother of a student at Ballard High School contacted the press after learning that her daughter not only had an abortion, but that the school’s health clinic helped to facilitate it without her knowledge.
“We had no idea this was being facilitated on campus,” said the woman, known only as “Jill.” “They just told her that if she concealed it from her family, that it would be free of charge and no financial responsibility.”
Jill had signed a consent form allowing her daughter to be treated at the school’s health center, which is run by the Swedish Medical Center, but she assumed this was for headaches, routine physicals, even birth control, but not for help terminating a pregnancy.
“Nowhere in the paperwork does it mention abortion or facilitating abortion,” she said.
However, her daughter did indeed receive help from the clinic, where she received a pregnancy test and then help securing an abortion – all of which was provided free of charge if she agreed to keep the abortion secret from her parents.
The incident underscores the problem in a small number of states like Washington that do not have parental consent laws and where this kind of assistance is legal. “Minors may receive an abortion and abortion-related services at any age without the consent of a parent, guardian or the father of the child,” says Washington state law.
The law also allows minors older than 13 to receive testing for sexually transmitted diseases, mental health care, and prenatal care without having parental consent.
Jill said she’s speaking out in order to help other parents become aware of the services that are provided at high school health clinics in the state.
Dan Kennedy, the head of Human Life of Washington, a statewide pro-life group, commented on the case in an email to LifeNews.com.
“Unfortunately, this is legal in WA. Most parents aren’t aware of this. We have tried unsuccessfully every year to get parental notification laws passed in the state of WA. The Democrats control both chambers and the Governor’s office, so parental notification gets buried in committee, never to see the light of day – like the unborn child in this story,” he said.
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