Rep. Mark Harris Demands UNC Charlotte Explain Teen Abortion‑Support Doula Training

Rep. Mark Harris, R-N.C., has sent a letter to University of North Carolina at Charlotte Chancellor Sharon Gaber demanding details about a November 15–16 training on campus that taught abortion-support doula skills to participants as young as 14. The event, organized by the Youth Abortion Support Collective, an Advocates for Youth affiliate, advertised itself to ages 14–24 and promised an introduction to "tools, resources, and skills for abortion support work," including becoming an abortion doula, companion, or support person. Harris argues that allowing what he calls the abortion industry to "recruit and train" minors on a public campus is "deeply inappropriate" and asks whether taxpayer funds, facilities, or university staff were used, who approved the space, and whether similar events are planned. In response, UNC Charlotte says it has provided "accurate information" to Harris, emphasizes that the training was not a university-sponsored event, and states that no university funds were used, though it acknowledges it was organized by a registered student organization. The clash highlights intensifying political scrutiny of how public universities handle abortion-related programming, especially when minors are invited onto campus for advocacy-adjacent activities.