Principal on leave over fetus dolls

NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) - The principal of Oakwood Elementary School in Norfolk was put on administrative leave Friday following an investigation that a school employee handed out plastic fetus dolls to students.

An anti-abortion card was handed out with the dolls that read: "Some people think that my life began at birth, but my life's journey began long before I was born." Norfolk schools Spokeswoman Elizabeth Thiel Mather said that the dolls were not authorized instruction materials.

The employee has not been identified, but the school's principal, Sheila Holas , is also part of the investigation.

"We're very concerned because these weren't authorized obviously by the curriculum," said Mike Spencer, another Norfolk schools spokesperson. "We've taken some pretty aggressive steps."

Spencer said they are not sure how many students actually received the dolls, but they are working on a definitive list.

"We certainly understand that there's this debate going on about abortions...and that's not an appropriate battleground, if you will, for children," Spencer said. "We don't believe that these materials are developmentally appropriate for an 8-year-old, 9-year-old, 10-year-old."

The back of the anti-abortion card had a description of the developmental stages of a fetus through each of its first twelve weeks in the womb.

Look for more on this story later today on WAVY News 10 and WAVY.com.