Florida School Criticized for Transporting Teen to Planned Parenthood Abortion Biz

State   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Oct 29, 2013   |   12:06PM   |   Sarasota, FL

Local pro-life advocates in Sarasota, Florida are up in arms because they witnessed a marked vehicle operated by the Sarasota County School District taking a young woman to a Planned parenthood abortion business on the day the company is known to do its abortions.

“The markings identified the van as belonging to the Sarasota County School District. Inside were a driver and two female passengers, and at least one looked to be of high school age,” a local news report said.

Gene Tischer, a local pro-life advocate who filmed the school van taking the girl to the abortion clinic, sent a copy of the video to school officials.

“Under what authority, pursuant to which specific Sarasota County School Board policy, does a Sarasota County school van deliver young girls to Planned Parenthood during normal school day hours?” he asked. “Are the Board members and administration aware that abortions are performed at this time and place every Friday?”

“Were taxpayer funds used to provide this transportation and escort service? If so, based on staff time, vehicle usage and distance traveled, approximately how much did this trip cost us taxpayers?” Tischer continued. “How many similar trips have school vans/buses made to PP this calendar year? When may I expect written responses to the questions posed above?”

A local reporter asked the school the questions and received a reply:

Right off the bat they said there had been a school system policy violation, and that Riverview High Principal Linda Nook has received a reprimand for it. And yes, a female student was in that van. But the student wasn’t there for an abortion. Nor was it a career day field trip or the like, in case that sort of thing had also crossed any protester’s mind.

The student had talked to a teacher and was in need of a pregnancy test and tests for a sexually transmitted disease, a schools’ spokesman told me.

“The testing services the student needed were available through the Health Department, but the student had personal reasons for wanting to have the tests done elsewhere,” the spokesman said.

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“In response to the student’s concerns, the two staff members decided to take her to Planned Parenthood for the tests instead of the Health Department,” and they had parental permission to do so, he said.

As it turned out, the student was not able to get the tests at Planned Parenthood that morning. The school district did not say why, but said, “No tests or procedures were performed.”

The student later went to get tests done without further school involvement. She reported that she was not pregnant and that the disease tests were negative, the spokesman said.

But that well-intentioned attempt by school officials was a violation of district policy, said Superintendent Lori White.

The article indicated the school should have referred the student to the local health department, not taking her to the local abortion clinic.