After months of turmoil over COVID restrictions, Critical Race Theory and transgender policies, calls are growing for a northern Virginia school superintendent and other board members to step down.
The latest development includes accusations that some Loudoun County Public School officials are trying to cover up alleged sexual assaults by a gender fluid student wearing a skirt.
“I am sorry we failed to provide the safe environment we aspired to provide,” Superintendent Scott Ziegler.
According to the commonwealth’s attorney, the same teenager is accused in both incidents that happened months apart at different Loudoun County high schools. In one, the attack took place in a girl’s restroom. The alleged attacker was allowed access to the bathroom by the school’s transgender policy.
The victim’s father, Scott Smith, is suing the school system after being arrested while trying to confront the board at a recent meeting.
“Mr. Ziegler, how could you have lied to all these parents about what had happened to my daughter?” Smith asked.
The superintendent and the school board members insisted in a statement they “were not aware of the specific details of this incident until it was reported in media outlets.”
The county recently adopted a rule allowing transgender students to use restrooms that match their gender identity, a policy supported by Virginia’s Board of Education.
Meanwhile, the state’s Democratic majority legislature passed HB 257, which ended mandatory school reporting of certain crimes to the police, including sexual battery.
“So, parents are not aware. So, law enforcement is not aware. I think this has a lot to do with how they handled both of these rapes,” said Loudoun County parent Patti Mender.
Amid the latest fallout, one school board member abruptly resigned last week and there are new calls for the superintendent to step down.
“His failure to keep an assailant out of school are far worse and merit immediate termination,” said Ian Prior, Executive Director of Fight for Schools.
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