Jaffrey-Rindge Cooperative School District
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Published – July 25, 2024
Jaffrey-Rindge Cooperative School District (JRCSD) hired an educator who was terminated from her previous district after escorting a student to an abortion facility without parental consent.
According to ABC News 4, “A New Hampshire public school teacher was recently fired after allegedly using sick leave to drive a student to an abortion clinic during school hours. The New Hampshire Department of Education investigated the matter.”
The source linked to a redacted report that shows the unnamed teacher — referred to as “Jane Doe” — claimed to have food poisoning. Sometime afterward, she was placed on paid administrative leave and summoned for questioning by the unnamed school district.
ABC News 4 said, “School officials later terminated the teacher, according to the report. While the document does not specify the nature of the student’s procedure, multiple state lawmakers told the NH Journal they believe it was an abortion.”
A July 9, 2024, update from the Concord Monitor stated that Doe had filed a lawsuit against her previous employer after the Department of Education terminated her teaching credentials on June 17. However, the source said the credentials were reinstated, and Doe withdrew the lawsuit after she and the district agreed to “allow for the administrative process to play out.”
The Boston Globe said, “The teacher admitted to her employer that she had lied about having food poisoning when she called in sick from work and drove the student to the medical facility. State officials then opened an investigation into her alleged failure to observe appropriate boundaries with the student entrusted to her care.”
The source also revealed that the JCRSD school board voted to hire Doe in May 2024. “The superintendent for that district, Reuben Duncan, did not respond to questions regarding whether the district became aware of the abortion-related allegation before the hiring process concluded,” according to the Globe.
Despite Doe and the student allegedly discussing the procedure for two weeks, Catholic News Agency confirmed that the student didn’t inform her family about the abortion.
According to Catholic News, “The student was at least 18 years old at the time and therefore under state law did not need the permission of her parents … The pregnant student didn’t want to tell her parents and didn’t have a ride to the abortion facility, and the abortion could be performed only on a Friday.”
Doe’s lawyer and the Attorney General’s office filed a joint statement dictating that her teaching credentials will remain active pending the outcome of the investigation.
The School Board Watchlist will continue monitoring this story and provide updates when information becomes available.
Please send tips on Jaffrey-Rindge Cooperative School District to [email protected].
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Jaffrey-Rindge Cooperative School District has 1,238 students in grades Pre-K through 12 across four schools.
