Latest news with #LoudounCountyPublicSchools
Yahoo
7 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Loudoun schools accused of misusing Title IX in transgender locker room case
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares at a press conference in 2023. (Photo by Meghan McIntyre/Virginia Mercury) A locker room incident at a Loudoun County high school has reignited controversy over student privacy, free speech, and school policy — now drawing scrutiny from Virginia's top law enforcement office. On Monday evening, the Office of the Virginia Attorney General confirmed that Loudoun County Public Schools launched an investigation against three male students who said they felt 'uncomfortable' when a biologically female student changed clothes in a boys' locker room and recorded the event. The Attorney General's office also cited 'persistent' reports that LCPS and the school board have taken 'adverse' and 'potentially unlawful action' against parents, teachers, and public speakers. Last month, Gov. Glenn Youngkin asked Attorney General Jason Miyares to investigate the claims to ensure the school division was upholding student privacy, dignity, and safety. The office described the school system's actions as a 'retaliatory Title IX investigation' targeting the three Stone Bridge High School students. The case has been referred to the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice for further review. 'The investigation reveals a disturbing misuse of authority by Loudoun County Public Schools, where students appear to have been targeted not for misconduct, but for expressing their discomfort for being forced to share a locker room with a member of the opposite sex,' Miyares said in a statement Monday evening. He added that Title IX was never meant to be used as a 'weapon' against free speech or religious convictions. 'Every student in Virginia deserves the right to speak openly, think freely, and live according to their conscience without fear of retaliation,' he said. 'Protecting those rights is not political — it's foundational to who we are as Americans.' LCPS' Policy 8040 allows access to sex-separated facilities based on gender identity. However, the Attorney General's Office said the school division appears to be punishing the students 'who hold and express faith based views' instead of protecting their constitutional rights. The school division has not commented on the investigation findings as of Tuesday morning. However, LCPS did release a statement saying it was 'deeply disheartening' to see an elected official — whom they did not name — rely on a WJLA report to publicly criticize the school division. LCPS defended its safety policies and commitment to student well-being and rejected the suggestion that schools are unsafe. Loudoun County is still contending with the fallout of a 2021 bathroom assault case involving a male student who was found guilty of attacking two female students at different schools over six months. In the first incident, the male student was wearing a skirt when he assaulted a female student in a girls' bathroom, although there's no evidence he identified as female. In 2023, Loudoun County Public Schools launched a pilot program aimed at improving restroom privacy and safety. The initiative was designed to increase accessibility and provide students with the option of using multi-fixture, gender-specific restrooms or single-occupancy restrooms across all LCPS facilities. Stone Bridge High School, where the locker room incident and investigation originated, was not part of that pilot program. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Virginia Attorney General refers Loudoun County locker room case to federal authorities
The Brief Virginia Attorney General refers Loudoun County locker room case to federal authorities. Investigators examine possible Title IX violations following student complaints about school policy. LCPS defends its actions while parents argue their children faced discrimination. LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. - Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares has concluded his investigation into possible Title IX violations in Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS), referring the case to federal authorities for further review. The inquiry was launched after complaints from parents who alleged their sons were punished for objecting to LCPS's transgender policies. The controversy centers on an incident in the boys' locker room at Stone Bridge High School, where a student who identifies as male recorded video of an encounter with other students. The reason the student went into the locker room has not been disclosed. READ MORE: Loudoun County Public Schools board meeting turns heated as parents push back on Title IX probe According to Miyares, the boys involved were expressing sincere religious objections, while LCPS disputes that characterization. The case has become another focal point in the debate over Policy 8040, which LCPS adopted in 2021 in compliance with Virginia law. The policy allows students to use sex-separated facilities, such as locker rooms and restrooms, that correspond with their gender identity. During the incident, three boys under investigation were heard loudly questioning the presence of a student they perceived to be female, making statements such as, "There's a girl in here?" and "I'm so uncomfortable." LCPS subsequently launched a Title IX investigation to determine whether the interaction constituted harassment or discrimination. Parents of the boys argue that their children are the ones facing discrimination. One parent, Renae Smith, spoke ahead of a May 20 school board meeting, stating, "This school system has failed everybody. The policy, if you look at the facts, who felt safe in that situation? And the answer is no one and that's going to be my message tonight. No one felt safe, no one felt respected, and no one left that locker room with their dignity intact." VIDEO: Tensions rise at Loudoun County school board meeting What they're saying In a statement to FOX 5, LCPS said: "To be absolutely clear: Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) would not investigate or discipline students based on their personal opinions, thoughts, or beliefs, provided those expressions do not violate policies prohibiting hate speech, discriminatory language, threats, or other forms of harmful or disruptive conduct. However, LCPS does investigate and may take disciplinary action when student behavior violates LCPS' Student Rights & Responsibilities Handbook for Families and Student Code of Conduct." LCPS has not confirmed whether its investigation has been completed. Meanwhile, Miyares announced that he has referred LCPS and its school board to the U.S. Department of Education and the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division for further investigation. The Source Information in this article comes from Loudoun County Public Schools and Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Parents blast school board as boys investigated for complaining about trans student in locker room
Furious parents vented their anger at a Virginia county school board meeting on Tuesday following news that three male students are under investigation after they were recorded in a male locker room complaining about a biological female getting changed alongside them. The Loudoun County Public Schools -- which made national headlines in 2021 when a father was arrested and hauled out of a board meeting for speaking out about the sexual assault of his daughter by a trans student at a local school -- is investigating the boys for Title IX violations. The trans boy, a biological female, recorded them questioning why "a girl" was present, with one student expressing that he felt "uncomfortable" about the situation at Stone Bridge High School. Tensions Flare At School Board Meeting After Trans Athlete Wins Multiple Track Events It is illegal to record inside locker rooms, but a Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) official confirmed to Fox 5 DC that none of the boys appeared in compromising positions in the video and, therefore, it was determined that no privacy laws were violated. Nevertheless, the boys are under investigation for allegedly violating policy 8040, a controversial guideline adopted in 2021 that permits students to use restrooms and locker rooms that align with their gender identity rather than their biological sex. Read On The Fox News App Scott Smith, the father arrested during that heated incident in 2021, took to the mic and blasted the board, accusing them of initially denying that his daughter had been raped and warning them that their policies could lead to similar consequences for other students. "And now four years later you're doing the same damn thing," Smith said. "You're victimizing innocent children over the priority of kids that don't know," he said before his mic appeared to be muted after his one-minute speaking slot had expired and he was told to hand step aside. California Track Meet Turns To Political Rally Over Trans Athletes As Schools Speak Out Vs. State "I'm not done yet," Smith roared. "You guys are sick and pathetic," he said to applause. Smith's words, and the words of some 130 parents who spoke, were not recorded on video, as the board voted last year to omit a video display during the public comment section of its board meetings. The decision was blasted by Smith at the time, who told "America's Newsroom" that the board was trying to shut down public dissent to their radical policies. Smith's daughter was sexually assaulted at Stone Bridge High School by a transgender student in 2021. Smith was convicted of disorderly conduct stemming from the 2021 school board meeting, but he was later pardoned by Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin. Suzanne Satterfield also took aim at the board on Tuesday, saying that children rely on adults to be truthful and protect them from harm. "Every girl and boy has the right to feel secure using private spaces without being invaded by the opposite sex," Satterfield said. "Every day that policy 8040 remains in play children are being lied to so that that they can be born in the wrong body can change their sex." Speaker Amy Paul ripped the board and said that policy 8040 is "insane." "You all have helped facilitate this charade for long enough and it's time to put an end to the madness," Paul said. "You're investigating three young men for having common sense enough to state the obvious, girls do not belong in boys locker rooms." WATCH: Pardoned father says he was used to 'silence' parents from protecting children: Scott Smith "Please don't tell me that he or she is really a he, we're done playing that game, there is no such thing as a child born in the wrong body… You're taking kids who have serious issues and instead of trying to understand why they're rejecting their true selves, you encourage them to go down a path that could lead to irreparable harm to their bodies. It's time for you to act like the adults." Not everyone disagreed with policy 8040, with one female speaker saying that the policy was created with input from experts, data and community feedback to ensure that all students are safe, seen and supported. She said the uproar has conveniently come about because of the gubernatorial election later this year. "Transgender people exist. They always have no executive order, sermon or headline or public comment can erase them," she said. "We cannot, in good faith, debate policies impacting students if we deny the existence of those very students. That's not discourse. That's dehumanization. We have seen this playbook before, fear mongering, misinformation and political theater all at the expense of vulnerable children. It's happening again, just as it did four years ago. Meanwhile, Youngkin has requested the state's attorney general launch an independent investigation into how LCPS has managed the situation, according to Fox 5. The controversy in Loudoun County came the day after parents and residents clashed at a school board meeting in the Chicago area on Monday after a trans junior high school student won multiple events at a local track article source: Parents blast school board as boys investigated for complaining about trans student in locker room
Fox News
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Parents blast school board as boys investigated for complaining about trans student in locker room
Print Close By Michael Dorgan Published May 22, 2025 Furious parents vented their anger at a Virginia county school board meeting on Tuesday following news that three male students are under investigation after they were recorded in a male locker room complaining about a biological female getting changed alongside them. The Loudoun County Public Schools -- which made national headlines in 2021 when a father was arrested and hauled out of a board meeting for speaking out about the sexual assault of his daughter by a trans student at a local school -- is investigating the boys for Title IX violations. The trans boy, a biological female, recorded them questioning why "a girl" was present, with one student expressing that he felt "uncomfortable" about the situation. TENSIONS FLARE AT SCHOOL BOARD MEETING AFTER TRANS ATHLETE WINS MULTIPLE TRACK EVENTS It is illegal to record inside locker rooms, but a Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) official confirmed to Fox 5 DC that none of the boys appeared in compromising positions in the video and, therefore, it was determined that no privacy laws were violated. Nevertheless, the boys are under investigation for allegedly violating policy 8040, a controversial guideline adopted in 2021 that permits students to use restrooms and locker rooms that align with their gender identity rather than their biological sex. Scott Smith, the father arrested during that heated incident in 2021, took to the mic and blasted the board, accusing them of initially denying that his daughter had been raped and warning them that their policies could lead to similar consequences for other students. "And now four years later you're doing the same damn thing," Smith said. "You're victimizing innocent children over the priority of kids that don't know," he said before his mic appeared to be muted after his one-minute speaking slot had expired and he was told to hand step aside. CALIFORNIA TRACK MEET TURNS TO POLITICAL RALLY OVER TRANS ATHLETES AS SCHOOLS SPEAK OUT VS. STATE "I'm not done yet," Smith roared. "You guys are sick and pathetic," he said to applause. Smith's words, and the words of some 130 parents who spoke, were not recorded on video, as the board voted last year to omit a video display during the public comment section of its board meetings. WATCH: Dad of girl assaulted by trans student slams school board amid new controversy The decision was blasted by Smith at the time, who told "America's Newsroom" that the board was trying to shut down public dissent to their radical policies. Smith's daughter was sexually assaulted at Stone Bridge High School by a transgender student in 2021. Smith was convicted of disorderly conduct stemming from the 2021 school board meeting, but he was later pardoned by Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin. Suzanne Satterfield also took aim at the board on Tuesday, saying that children rely on adults to be truthful and protect them from harm. "Every girl and boy has the right to feel secure using private spaces without being invaded by the opposite sex," Satterfield said. "Every day that policy 8040 remains in play children are being lied to so that that they can be born in the wrong body can change their sex." Speaker Amy Paul ripped the board and said that policy 8040 is "insane." "You all have helped facilitate this charade for long enough and it's time to put an end to the madness," Paul said. "You're investigating three young men for having common sense enough to state the obvious, girls do not belong in boys locker rooms." WATCH: Pardoned father says he was used to 'silence' parents from protecting children: Scott Smith "Please don't tell me that he or she is really a he, we're done playing that game, there is no such thing as a child born in the wrong body… You're taking kids who have serious issues and instead of trying to understand why they're rejecting their true selves, you encourage them to go down a path that could lead to irreparable harm to their bodies. It's time for you to act like the adults." Not everyone disagreed with policy 8040, with one female speaker saying that the policy was created with input from experts, data and community feedback to ensure that all students are safe, seen and supported. She said the uproar has conveniently come about because of the gubernatorial election later this year. "Transgender people exist. They always have no executive order, sermon or headline or public comment can erase them," she said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP "We cannot, in good faith, debate policies impacting students if we deny the existence of those very students. That's not discourse. That's dehumanization. We have seen this playbook before, fear mongering, misinformation and political theater all at the expense of vulnerable children. It's happening again, just as it did four years ago. Meanwhile, Youngkin has requested the state's attorney general launch an independent investigation into how LCPS has managed the situation, according to Fox 5. The controversy in Loudoun County came the day after parents and residents clashed at a school board meeting in the Chicago area on Monday after a trans junior high school student won multiple events at a local track meet. Print Close URL
Daily Mail
21-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Trans student faces instant karma after filming 'sexual harassment' in the boys' locker room
A transgender student filmed three boys in a Virginia high school locker room who he claimed were bullying him for his gender identity. But his attempt to ostracize them backfired when parents of the accused tormenters and the state's governor questioned why the three boys were being filmed inside the locker room in the first place. Earlier this month, Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) launched a Title IX investigation after the trans student recorded a friend group that was uncomfortable with a biological female being in the changing room. Stone Bridge High School, where the video was taken, is probing the incident as a sexual harassment case. The video, obtained exclusively by ABC 7 on Friday, reveals what truly transpired in the locker room. The families of the teens accused of harassment were allegedly denied copies of the footage at first. As the video depicts, the transgender boy seemingly walks into the locker room with his phone in his pocket, sparking a reaction from the teens inside, prompting them to speak among themselves. 'There's a girl in here? There's a girl?' one boy is heard asking. About 30 seconds later, another boy adds, 'Why is there a girl? I'm so uncomfortable there is a girl.' 'A female, bro, get out of here,' someone says. Then, the trans takes his phone out of his pocket and point it directly at the students who were making the comments. Parents were finally able to obtain the video through the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office (LCSO), which has the video because officers are investigating if the trans student committed a crime by recording minors in the dressing room. LCPS explicitly bans locker room recordings, but in an email to Wolfe, a representative allegedly told him the video did not compromise anyone's privacy. The parents have questioned why the student behind the camera is not being penalized for violating their privacy. 'I have a daughter that's in high school as well, and if there was a male in there videotaping her in the locker room, I would have issues,' Seth Wolfe, a father of one of the accused, told ABC 7. 'If it's my son and there's a female in the locker room videotaping, I have issues. Even if it was somebody of the same sex, I believe that this is an invasion of their privacy.' Wolfe also claimed the LCPS investigator tried to grill his son into confession to something he did not do. 'They didn't show us the video until after they had tried to get my son to say who said what and all this kind of stuff,' Wolfe told the outlet. 'But then once we saw the video, then we started asking about those context questions and how that can be left out. And they didn't really have a good answer for that.' 'I don't even think the Title IX investigation is justified,' Renae Smith, another boy's mothers, told ABC 7. Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin has released a statement expressing 'outrage' over reports that LCPS is investigating the three male students. 'It's deeply concerning to read reports of yet another incident in Loudoun County schools where members of the opposite sex are violating the privacy of students in locker rooms,' Youngkin said. 'Even more alarming, the victims of this violation are the ones being investigated - this is beyond belief.' He asked Attorney General Jason Miyares to look into the situation. A lawyer hired to represent the three boys, Josh Hetzler, told NBC4 these kinds of allegations can be detrimental to the futures of young men. 'These have a way of really stigmatizing them, especially when they're unfounded like this one,' he told the outlet. The latest to break their silence on the matter is Pastor Gary Hamrick of Cornerstone Chapel in Leesburg. 'Enough is enough,' he said, addressing thousands of service attendees on Sunday. He urged congregants to show support for the boys' families and attend school board hearings about the sexual harassment case. LCPS previously told that allegations aired in the media are 'false', but said due to their ongoing investigation they could not clarify which points were incorrect. 'To be absolutely clear: Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) would not investigate or discipline students based on their personal opinions, thoughts, or beliefs, provided those expressions do not violate policies prohibiting hate speech, discriminatory language, threats, or other forms of harmful or disruptive conduct,' the school said in a statement. 'However, LCPS does investigate and may take disciplinary action when student behavior violates LCPS' Student Rights & Responsibilities Handbook for Families and Student Code of Conduct. 'Because this matter could result in discipline, LCPS will not discuss the specifics of the incident publicly. 'Student privacy is a fundamental right protected by both policy and law, and LCPS is firmly committed to upholding that principle without exception. 'Our decision not to comment on the matter should not be taken as license for any news organization to determine what the facts are without verification.' LCPS' policy allows trans students to use bathrooms and locker rooms that align with their identities. But a board member, Deana Griffiths, told ABC 7 changes must be made to the rules to ensure all children feel safe and protected in schools. She said this problem stemmed from even creating an environment where biological males and females could share the same vulnerable spaces. 'What we are seeing and will continue to see, are the consequences of policies that have introduced confusion and conflict into spaces that were once clear and safe—especially for young children,' she wrote. 'The truth is, many of these issues would never have arisen if we had upheld the basic principle that boys and girls are biologically different.' Miyares' office is investigating the Title IX case at Stone Bridge High School. The US Department of Education is investigating LCPS and four other Virginia school districts for their policies allowing students to use private spaces based on identity not biological sex.
