Should NH require schools to notify the parents if a student under 18 becomes pregnant?

In the Farmington, school district officials are reviewing policies related to how staff members deal with teen pregnancy. Recently, the Supreme Court ruled they could not fire Farmington High School guidance counselor Demetria McKaig, who helped a student get an abortion.

The case is a complex one, touching upon the state's law requiring that minors get parental notification before terminating a pregnancy.

Under the law, minors can get an abortion without parental consent with the permission of a court.

When McKaig suggested the student tell her mother, she refused, claiming that she was afraid for her safety. Although ordered by Principal Matt Jozokos to inform the mother about the pregnancy, McKaig, with the help of the New Hampshire Civil Liberties Union, filed a restraining order preventing the principle from informing the girl's mother. A court later authorized the student to get an abortion without parental consent.

McKaig was told that her contract would not be renewed, as her actions constituted insubordination. The case was brought to the state Supreme Court, which ruled that the guidance counselor must be reinstated to her position.

There is currently no law in New Hampshire requiring schools to inform parents that a student has become pregnant, leaving schools to set their own policies on potentially shaky legal ground.

This has raised the question of whether the New Hampshire Legislature should pursue legislation that would require schools to inform parents if a minor student has become pregnant.

Supporters of such a move argue that to withhold information about a child's pregnancy is a violation of parental rights, arguing that it is the place of family, not school systems, to provide advice and support during such situations.

Opponents counter that such policies would be a violation of constitutionally protected privacy rights and could discourage students from seeking health and support services at a critical time. They also express concern that such a move could expose students to risks of abuse.