As Virginia’s public schools face mounting scandals involving abortions kept secret from parents and students’ locker room access based on their “gender identities,” Democrat gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger is facing scrutiny over her close ties to teachers unions after receiving one of the largest donations this election cycle from the American Federation of Teachers (AFT).
According to campaign finance records published by the Virginia Access Project, on Aug. 28, the AFT, led by president Randi Weingarten, contributed $500,000 to Spanberger’s gubernatorial campaign.
The donation has sparked concerns that the former congresswoman is aligned with far-left education activists.
“The teachers unions just dropped a cool $500,000 to @SpanbergerForVA’s campaign to protect the public school cartel,” NOVA Campaigns said on X.
The donation follows a turbulent year for the AFT and Weingarten.
In June 2025, Weingartem resigned abruptly from the Democratic National Committee after an inflammatory speech at the “No Kings Day” protests—a coordinated day of resistance to federal immigration policies aimed at removing criminal illegal aliens from communities across the country.
“Weingarten is once again on stage bouncing around, flailing her arms, and screeching like a lunatic,” LibsofTikTok said of Weingarten’s speech.
Weingarten and the AFT actively support policies funding K-12 education for illegal aliens.
In July 2024, days after then-former President Donald Trump was shot in an assassination attempt, Weingarten gave a speech at the union’s convention in which she labeled President Donald Trump an “existential threat” to democracy and urged members to vote “against fascism.”
“Voting is still our best defense against tyranny and fascism,” Weingarten said, in a performance described as that of a “lunatic” by critics.
The AFT’s support for Spanberger highlights her political alignment with the radical education agenda Weingarten and other union leaders have advanced, including opposition to parental rights legislation and strong advocacy for gender identity-based policies in public schools.
The AFT has been accused of pursuing an anti-parental rights agenda including promoting a “Student Introduction Card” that allows students to request their gender identity be hidden from parents, raising concerns about transparency and parental rights.
Critics argue the AFT-backed practice undermines parental authority, with similar concealment policies spreading in schools and districts nationwide.
While promoting her new book “Why Fascists Fear Teachers,” Weingarten claims educators are defenders of democracy against authoritarianism, particularly under President Trump. However, the New York Post editorial board accused Weingarten of projecting her own authoritarian tendencies onto Trump, pointing to her role in extended school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic that prioritized union power over students’ well-being.
Spanberger’s positions on education have been increasingly scrutinized in light of her refusal to take strong stances on school issues despite serious incidents in which both criminal and federal investigations have been launched against school districts in Northern Virginia.
In Fairfax County, Gov. Glenn Youngkin has launched a criminal investigation into allegations that school officials arranged and paid for abortions for underage girls without parental consent. The accusations, centered at Centreville High School, include potential misuse of public funds and violation of state parental notification laws.
Another Fairfax incident involved a male student reportedly watching girls change in a high school locker room. According to reports, the school told the girls nothing could be done, citing gender identity policies—a stance critics argue prioritizes ideology over student safety.
Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) have also come under fire after suspending two boys who reported discomfort with a transgender student, born female, who allegedly filmed them while they were undressing in the boys’ locker room. The boys received 10-day suspensions and were found responsible for sexual harassment. Attorney General Jason Miyares referred the case to federal authorities for potential Title IX violations and unlawful retaliation.
Del. Geary Higgins (R-Loudoun), a former school board member and vocal critic of LCPS, accused the district of abandoning common sense and becoming a center for ideological extremism. He criticized the curriculum’s focus on gender identity and transgender topics, calling them inappropriate but noting they are supported by the AFT and backed by Spanberger.
“That’s not biological sex education. That’s indoctrination,” Higgins told West Nova News. “It’s supposed to be optional. But what they’re doing to these kids is intentional—and wrong.”
He cited prior scandals, including a 2022 case involving a biologically male student found guilty of sexually assaulting two girls, and described the school board as overtaken by “ideologues” after its political shift in 2018.
Meanwhile, Spanberger has defended controversial transgender policies, supporting biological males’ participation in girls’ sports and condemning Youngkin’s 2022 guidance affirming facility access based on biological sex. When pressed about students using opposite-sex locker rooms, Spanberger has avoided giving direct answers, calling previous transgender athletic policies “a process that was working.”
Critics say this evasiveness, paired with the massive union donation, raises concerns that Spanberger is enabling the radical left’s takeover of Virginia’s public education system.
Accountability issues stretch from education to the justice system, reflecting a broader pattern of prioritizing political agendas over public safety and student welfare.
