Latest news with #StoneBridgeHighSchool
Yahoo
7 days ago
- 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
Washington Post
07-05-2025
- Washington Post
Virginia to investigate Loudoun schools over locker room incident
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares (R) announced that he would investigate Loudoun County Public Schools over its handling of an incident in the boys' locker room at Stone Bridge High School. Authorities have shared few details about the incident, with Loudoun schools officials saying they could not offer specifics because of student privacy.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Yahoo
Loudoun County teen facing Title IX investigation after commenting on trans student in boy's locker room
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways LOUDOUN CO., Va. - Attorneys for a Loudoun County teen say he is under investigation for sexual harassment after what they say was an innocent exchange in the locker room. The 15-year-old sophomore attends Stone Bridge High School. He and his family are represented by the Founding Freedoms Law Center. Virginia's governor and Attorney General announced an investigation in Loudoun County public schools over a reported incident in a school locker room. The governor is calling this case a "violation" of student privacy. Gov. Glenn Youngkin is asking Attorney General Jason Miyares to investigate Loudoun County Public Schools' conduct. It stems from allegations from several teen boys and their parents. The parents say the school district launched a Title IX investigation after the boys questioned why a girl was in the boys' locker room at Stone Bridge High School. One of the boys was recorded saying he was "uncomfortable." The boys say the student in question also recorded the group's reaction in the locker room. FOX 5 is told the student identifies as male but presents as female. Gov. Youngkin has called the allegations alarming, writing in a statement, "Students who express legitimate concerns about sharing locker rooms with individuals of the opposite biological sex should not be subjected to harassment or discrimination claims." Loudoun County disputes the allegations, telling FOX 5 that some of the information is false or misleading saying, "they would not investigate or discipline students based on personal opinions," but that they do investigate when student behavior violates the student rights and responsibilities handbook and student code of conduct. "I'm here to speak on behalf of my son who has been wrongfully accused of a Title IX violation. In truth he is a victim of a Title IX violation – ignored and unsupported by the very system that is supposed to protect him,' said Rena Smith, mom of the student being investigated. "We need clear and consistent policies that create trust and not confusion for students, parents and staff," said Seth Wolfe, father of the student under investigation. During the public comment, parents questioned if the student, who is accused of recording the group of boys in the locker room, is being investigated. Right now, it is unclear and the school district says it can't comment on specifics due to privacy laws.
