Abortion ban compounds grief, pain for some Texans
Jane Armstrong faced an impossible choice.
In February 2021, the expectant mother underwent an anatomy scan that revealed her unborn child had spina bifida, clubbed feet and a combination of two brain conditions associated with severe cognitive impairment. She spoke to a surgeon, who explained that her son likely would need a wheelchair for the rest of his life and would require help using the toilet. He could also face severe developmental delays.
Armstrong longed for her first child, but she wanted to do what was best. After intense reflection, she decided to terminate the pregnancy.
“It would have been very isolating and very heartbreaking on a daily basis to know that our son had to live his life in pain and suffering, and that we might not have the support we would need to properly care for him,” said Armstrong, a 35-year-old Austin resident.
Armstrong still grieves for her child, but she feels grateful to have had a choice. The following September, a new Texas law eliminated the option to terminate a pregnancy because of severe fetal abnormalities, which can be detected only after the sixweek term for which the state allows abortions. Now, Texans must choose whether to deliver a severely unhealthy baby, in some cases only to watch them die, or seek out-of-state options.
As the Supreme Court appears ready to strike down the landmark Roe v. Wade decision, grief counselors and abortion advocates say women in Armstrong’s predicament have been largely ignored in the national conversation. Experts say the increasingly restrictive laws only exacerbate the pain of letting go of a desperately wanted child.
“It’s disempowering, and it’s a mental health crisis,” said Sabrina Fletcher, a doula who specializes in helping bereaved parents deal with such loss. “It’s a grief that’s not seen and not recognized. You’re told you’re a murderer or you’re baby killer. You had an abortion. Who’s going to then send you to a grief counselor? They’re basically saying, ‘You should be in prison. You’re a criminal.’ … And we internalize that in our community.”
Armstrong remembers a specific moment in her conversation with the surgeon that crystallized the importance of having a choice.
“You are his parents,” she recalled him saying. “You are the
from the probe. Pérez also asked who currently is overseeing the IDEA investigation and whether the same investigators, who technically worked for Cottrill, would continue digging into a charter network that he now will lead.
“My whole point to this is: Why, as a taxpayer, do I even have to ask these questions?” Pérez said. “Don't they feel the least bit obligated to be forthcoming and transparent with us?”
State Rep. Terry Canales, Dedinburg, in a tweet said, “At the very least, this gives the appearance of possible impropriety at TEA.”
The education agency opened an investigation into the charter system about a year ago after an audit found “substantial evidence” top leaders at the large charter network misused money and staff for personal gain.
The auditor's findings resulted in the firings of IDEA'S cofounder and CEO Joann Gama and Chief Operating Officer Irma Muñoz.
IDEA'S other co-founder, Tom Torkelson, resigned as CEO in 2020, following criticism over the charter's spending, including $400,000 on luxury boxes and tickets for events at San Antonio's AT&T Center and his plan to lease a charter jet for travel between the charter network's hubs.
During Torkelson's tenure, several relatives of IDEA executives and board members also engaged in business dealings with the charter, including a company co-owned by Muñoz's husband that billed more than $600,000 for uniforms, other clothing and gear.
TEA'S governance and accountability office, for which Cottrill served as deputy commissioner, is tasked with improving governance and performance of the state's school systems through various initiatives, including investigations, according to the agency.
IDEA Public Schools has 75,000 students in 137 schools across Texas, Louisiana and Florida and claims to be the fastest-growing pre-k-12 charter network in the country. Enrollment last fall at its 15 San Antonio-area campuses was about 17,600.
IDEA students, the vast majority of whom are Hispanic and come from low-income families, routinely score well above average on state standardized tests and enroll in college at high rates compared to their peers. Skeptics argue IDEA'S success is inflated by high academic standards that deter families from enrolling students with more intensive academic and behavioral needs.