{"id":2512248,"date":"2025-11-19T09:40:01","date_gmt":"2025-11-19T14:40:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/conflict-of-interest-claimed-in-suit-vs-fcpss-alleged-retaliation\/"},"modified":"2025-11-19T09:43:12","modified_gmt":"2025-11-19T14:43:12","slug":"conflict-of-interest-claimed-in-suit-vs-fcpss-alleged-retaliation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/conflict-of-interest-claimed-in-suit-vs-fcpss-alleged-retaliation\/","title":{"rendered":"Conflict Of Interest Claimed In Suit Vs. FCPS&#8217;s Alleged Retaliation"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fconflict-of-interest-claimed-in-suit-vs-fcpss-alleged-retaliation%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2512248&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Last month, Zenaida Perez, an ESOL teacher in Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), filed a lawsuit against the district alleging defamation and retaliation after she reported that a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/sinema-seems-to-mock-far-left-democrats-reporter-over-question-of-where-she-stands-on-3-5-trillion-bill\/\" title=\"Sinema Seems To Mock Far-Left Democrats, ...er Over Question Of Where She Stands On .5 Trillion Bill\">school social worker<\/a>, Carolina Diaz, arranged an abortion for a minor student without parental consent. Perez claims that after she informed the school principal, she faced multiple retaliatory actions from administrators, including orchestrated incidents to discredit her. Despite her allegations, FCPS only took official notice after media exposure and hired the law firm King &#038; Spalding to conduct an &#8220;independent&#8221; inquiry. Controversially, the same firm now represents FCPS in defending against Perez&#8217;s lawsuit, raising concerns over a conflict of interest.<\/p>\n<p>the investigation, funded by nearly $1 million in taxpayer money, resulted in an inconclusive report from King &#038; Spalding that deemed Perez&#8217;s claims &#8220;likely untrue,&#8221; even as a criminal investigation by the Virginia State Police remains active. Perez&#8217;s lawyer argues that the firm cannot impartially serve both as investigator and legal defense. Following the report, Perez was placed on administrative leave, while the implicated social worker remains employed and the principal was promoted. Critics say FCPS only acted to protect its public image and that Perez&#8217;s legal case will reveal more about the district&#8217;s alleged retaliation against a whistleblower.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Last month, Zenaida Perez, a teacher in Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), filed a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/WCdispatch_\/status\/1983577337737216001\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">lawsuit<\/a>&nbsp;against the district for defamation and retaliation against a whistleblower. Strangely,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kslaw.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">King &amp; Spalding<\/a>, the law firm that the district&rsquo;s superintendent, Michelle Reid,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.iwfeatures.com\/profile\/fairfax-teacher-ousted-by-administrators-after-fighting-for-parental-rights\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">hired<\/a>&nbsp;to be the &ldquo;external independent investigator&rdquo; of Perez&rsquo;s allegations, is now <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fcps.edu\/system\/files\/forms\/2025-10\/2025_10_16_letter_to_frank_miller.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">representing<\/a> FCPS in its defense.<\/p>\n<p>In May 2022, Perez, who has taught FCPS&rsquo;s English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) students since 2008, told Centreville High School&rsquo;s principal, Chad Lehman, that the school&rsquo;s social worker, Carolina Diaz, facilitated an abortion for a minor student without her guardian&rsquo;s consent.<\/p>\n<p>In her signed statement (translated from Spanish), the student&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/wcdispatch_\/status\/1952731432629030950?s=46\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">wrote<\/a>, &ldquo;Mrs. Carolina Diaz scheduled the appointment for me at the abortion clinic in Fairfax, paid the costs of that medical procedure, and kept everything quiet without informing my family.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>After Perez told Lehman about the <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >school staff member&#038;rsquo<\/a>;s involvement in the minor&rsquo;s abortion, she says that she faced multiple incidents of retaliation and defamation from school and district administration. For example, her lawsuit states, &ldquo;On April 8, 2025, an 18-year-old male student&hellip; confided to Perez that [Assistant Principal Montell] Brown instructed him to ask Perez for a ride in her personal vehicle to Costco, and that once Perez gave him the ride, he was to report the incident to Brown, so that he could write Perez up.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Julie Perry, a teacher at Centreville High School who is familiar with the case and knows the student involved, believes that FCPS is retaliating against Perez for being a whistleblower. She&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.iwfeatures.com\/profile\/fairfax-teacher-ousted-by-administrators-after-fighting-for-parental-rights\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">said<\/a>, &ldquo;It makes me very sad to see my colleague, Zenaida, being heavily retaliated against because she was only doing the right thing by reporting illegal activity.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Oddly, the district&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/half-of-young-voters-view-gop-favorably-post-election-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Half of young voters view GOP favorably post election - Washington Examiner\">leaders didn&#038;rsquo<\/a>;t seem concerned with Perez&rsquo;s claims until the public was made aware of them. Only after the media&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/wcdispatch_\/status\/1952731432629030950?s=46\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reported<\/a>&nbsp;on the abortion allegations did district leadership hire the expensive law firm to investigate. In an&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.iwfeatures.com\/profile\/fairfax-teacher-ousted-by-administrators-after-fighting-for-parental-rights\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">email<\/a>&nbsp;to Centreville High School staff, dated Aug. 7, 2025, Reid wrote, &ldquo;[T]he division has taken immediate action to engage an external independent investigator to get all the facts.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<h2>Ongoing Investigation<\/h2>\n<p>In August and September, Fairfax County Public Schools paid the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/alec-baldwin-lawyers-up-for-multiple-rust-shooting-civil-suits\/\" title=\"Alec Baldwin Lawyers Up for Multiple &#039;Rust&#039; Shooting Civil Suits\">law firm&#038;nbsp<\/a>;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fairfaxcounty.gov\/transparencyresults\/default.aspx?ID=FCPS#pnlShortFiExpenses\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">$980,515.14<\/a>&nbsp;in taxpayer funds to investigate Perez&rsquo;s claims. And while there is still an ongoing Virginia State Police&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.governor.virginia.gov\/newsroom\/news-releases\/2025\/august\/name-1054950-en.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">criminal investigation<\/a>&nbsp;into the matter, on Oct. 16, King &amp; Spalding issued an inconclusive&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fcps.edu\/system\/files\/forms\/2025-10\/2025_10_16_letter_to_frank_miller.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">report<\/a>&nbsp;stating that Perez&rsquo;s allegations were &ldquo;likely untrue.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>It seems that FCPS&rsquo;s leaders are more interested in appearing to try to get to the bottom of things only when there is concern among the public that threatens the district&rsquo;s image.<\/p>\n<h2>Conflict of Interest<\/h2>\n<p>Monique Miles,&nbsp;Perez&rsquo;s attorney, noted that &ldquo;King &amp; Spalding can&rsquo;t be both neutral fact finder and defense. There is an inherent conflict of interest&nbsp;in King &amp; Spalding representing FCPS as counsel in both matters.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Miles further argues that &ldquo;FCPS has lost all credibility by hiring King &amp;&nbsp;Spalding to do an external independent investigation, where they released a&nbsp;preliminary report to the Senate [Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions] HELP Committee and the U.S. Department of Education Acting General Counsel inferring that Perez was a liar and claiming that the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/despite-insistence-by-democrat-politicians-and-medical-elites-empirical-evidence-does-not-conclusively-show-that-masks-reduce-the-spread-of-covid\/\" title=\"Despite Insistence by Democrat Politicians and Medical Elites, Empirical Evidence DOES NOT Conclusively Show that Masks Reduce the Spread of COVID\">evidence doesn&#038;rsquo<\/a>;t support her claims (when it does, especially the audio recordings), and then by hiring King &amp; Spalding&rsquo;s same attorneys, the very next week, to represent FCPS in defending against Perez&rsquo;s lawsuit for defamation and retaliation.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<h2>Perez on Administrative Leave<\/h2>\n<p>After King &amp; Spalding released its inconclusive report in October, and while&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/centrevillehs.fcps.edu\/student-services-staff\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Diaz<\/a>&nbsp;keeps her job as school social worker and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fcps.edu\/staff\/chad-lehman\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Lehman<\/a>&nbsp;was promoted, FCPS placed Perez on administrative leave. Perez believes that her suspension is permanent because, she said, district leaders insisted that she turn in her laptop, keys, and all district property.&nbsp;They also, according to Perez, terminated her email account and revoked her access to the student information system.<\/p>\n<p>FCPS&rsquo;s leaders were not interested in getting to the bottom of things until their public image was threatened. Now Perez&rsquo;s lawsuit should reveal more about how they retaliated against the whistleblower.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>      Stephanie Lundquist-Arora is a contributor to The Federalist and the Washington Examiner, a mother in Fairfax County, Virginia, an author, and the Fairfax chapter leader of the Independent Women&rsquo;s Network.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Teacher Zenaida Perez sues FCPS for defamation, retaliation<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1371,"featured_media":2512249,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Zeina-e1763395100138.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[40421,67326,4585,7996],"class_list":["post-2512248","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-conflict-of-interest","tag-fcps","tag-lawsuit","tag-retaliation"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Zeina-e1763395100138.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2512248","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1371"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2512248"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2512248\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2512252,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2512248\/revisions\/2512252"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2512249"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2512248"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2512248"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2512248"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}