Counselor sued in teen abortion case

Christian Century, Sept 22, 1999

A Pennsylvania couple has sued a public school guidance counselor, charging that he violated their constitutional rights by helping their minor daughter obtain a secret abortion. Howard and Marie Carter of Hatboro, a Philadelphia suburb, sued the Hatboro-Horsham School District and counselor William Hickey on August 16 in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia. "This case is about parents' constitutional right to parent," said John Stepanovich, senior regional counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice, a public-interest law firm founded by religious broadcaster Pat Robertson. "A school official on the public payroll usurped the role of these parents and arranged for a clan-destine abortion for their 17-year-old daughter."

The suit alleges that when the couple's eldest daughter discovered her pregnancy in March 1998, she sought the advice of Hickey, her guidance counselor at a school in the community where her family had recently moved. "Hickey repeatedly emphasized ... that going to New Jersey for the abortion would ensure that the abortion would remain secret from her parents," the complaint states.

The teenager, who subsequently graduated from high school in June 1999, told the counselor that she was a Southern Baptist and that abortion was contrary to her and her parents' beliefs, the suit alleges. The suit further charges that Hickey responded to the teen's doubts by telling her "welcome to the adult world" and "someday you'll look back on this and laugh."

Pennsylvania law requires consent of a parent or a judicial exemption for a minor to undergo an abortion, while New Jersey does not require parental consent. The teen's parents allege that the abortion would not have occurred if they had been informed of their daughter's plans. The suit argues that Hickey helped the student get in touch with an out-of-state abortion clinic, arrange for the necessary financing and provide an excuse for her absence when the abortion was performed. --RNS