A Seattle mother is furious after learning that her 15-year-old daughter was sent by her school's health center for a secret abortion, reports ABC-affiliate KOMO.
UPDATE 3/28/10: Seattle Times editorial says "School did nothing wrong when they helped a pregnant student seeking an abortion"
UPDATE 3/25/10: Officials admit 'secret abortions' permitted by law; parents fooled by school 'fine print'
-- From "Mother furious after in-school clinic sets up daughter's abortion" by KOMO-TV staff posted at Seattle Post-Intelligencer 3/23/10
The mother of a Ballard High School student is fuming after the health center on campus helped facilitate her daughter's abortion during school hours.
The mother, whom KOMO News has chosen to identify only as "Jill," says the [Planned Parenthood] clinic kept the information "confidential."
When she signed a consent form, Jill figured it meant her 15-year-old could go to the Ballard Teen Health Center located inside the high school for an earache, a sports physical, even birth control, but not for help terminating a pregnancy.
Jill says her daughter, a pro-life advocate, was given a pass, put in a taxi and sent off to have an abortion during school hours, all without her family knowing.
The Seattle School District says it doesn't run the health clinics at high schools. Swedish Medical Center runs the clinic at Ballard High and protects the students' privacy.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Seattle Mom: School Sent My Daughter for Secret Abortion without Telling Me" by Patrick B. Craine, LifeSiteNews.com 3/24/10
"They just told her that if she concealed it from her family, that it would be free of charge and no financial responsibility," Jill said.
T.J. Cosgrove of the King County Health Department, which oversees the center, explained that Washington state does not recognize parents' opinions on such issues. "At any age in the state of Washington, an individual can consent to a termination of pregnancy," he said.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
