Hafedh Azaiez, superintendent for Round Rock Independent School District in Texas, is accused of assaulting his pregnant mistress after she refused to get an abortion. He has since been placed on paid administrative leave and an investigation is ongoing.
Fox News reported that Azaiez, who is married with children, carried on an extramarital affair from 2018 through 2020, and again from February 2021 to June 2021. According to the protective order against Azaiez, the woman told him of her pregnancy on June 24, 2021, shortly after he had been named superintendent. “He was very worried about the possibility of losing his job,” she wrote in the application for the protective order. “He was very angry and accused me of doing this on purpose to destroy his career and family.”
The mistress said Azaiez began sending her threatening phone calls and text messages and refused to attend doctor’s visits with her. “He asked me to have an abortion so that he would not lose his career and family. I was very upset at this, and I said no to an abortion and told him that I had made up my mind to have the child,” she said, adding, “He started to really try to intimidate me by telling me he was in a position of power, and he continued to accuse me of defaming him and that he would be fired.”
Azaiez also told the woman that then-school board president Amy Weir knew about the situation and would protect him if Azaiez complained or tried to expose him. When the woman still refused to get an abortion, she said he physically attacked her on July 6, 2021. She had texted him that the baby has a heartbeat and she will not kill it, and would “pay the consequences.”
READ: Indian court: Mother can abort healthy 23-week baby because of domestic violence
“He became so angry he grabbed my arms with force, shaking me and shoving me until he threw me to the floor,” she wrote. “I developed bruises and since this attack and I have had some bleeding and spotting in my pregnancy and have been advised by my physician that I am threatened to miscarry the pregnancy.”
Several weeks later, someone broke into the woman’s home, taking an iPad, two iMacs, and a diary; she believes Azaiez is responsible. He had previously told her, “For the last time I am telling you please get an abortion[;] you don’t know what you are getting yourself into. I will make you pay [for] this[;] you will not make me lose everything … Don’t make me go after you and make you pay the consequences for you and this baby.”
By September, the scandal seemingly was public knowledge, as two Round Rock ISD fathers were arrested. One of them, Jeremy Story, was escorted out by police on Weir’s orders as soon as he mentioned the protective order by Azaiez.
It is not known whether or not the woman was able to carry her pregnancy to term. However, her story is far from rare. A woman carrying a child the father does not want, who refuses an abortion, is at extremely high risk of violence. Over 60% of women undergoing abortions have reported feeling coerced into the decision, while domestic violence is “more common than any other health problem among women during pregnancy.” Homicide is likewise a leading cause of death for pregnant women.
If you are living with domestic violence – pregnant or not – there is help. Call the Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE) or visit thehotline.org to chat with someone when you are in a safe location.
“Like” Live Action News on Facebook for more pro-life news and commentary!
