Virginia Republicans Gov. Glenn Youngkin and state Attorney General Jason Miyares launched an investigation into Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) Tuesday after several male students expressed discomfort with a female student using the boys’ locker room.
The district reportedly opened a Title IX investigation into the three boys attending Stone Bridge High School, questioning whether they perpetrated sexual harassment by complaining about the girl’s presence, according to ABC7 News. The girl, who had allegedly used the boys locker room several times before, also purportedly filmed “the reaction of male students” during the incident, per to the AG’s press release.
“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 in the press release. “Even more alarming, the victims of this violation are the ones being investigated—this is beyond belief. I’ve asked Attorney General Miyares to investigate this situation immediately so that every student’s privacy, dignity and safety are upheld. 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.”
LCPS’s school board policy states that students are allowed “to use the facility that corresponds to their consistently asserted gender identity.” It also forces staff to “allow gender-expansive or transgender students to use their chosen name and gender pronouns that reflect their consistently asserted gender identity without any substantiating evidence, regardless of the name and gender recorded in the student’s permanent educational record.”
The district was also named in a federal lawsuit in February over this policy, with America First Legal claiming it violates civil rights laws for discriminating against women.
LCPS told the Daily Caller News Foundation it could not discuss specifics of the situation due to student privacy concerns in an ongoing disciplinary process, but said the original reporting of the incident “contains false and misleading information presented in a biased manner from a single source.”
“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 district told the DCNF. “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.”
Loudon County schools previously came under fire in 2021 after the district allegedly attempted to cover up a sexual assault perpetrated by a male student that claimed a transgender identity that occurred in the girls’ bathroom of the same school. The incident sparked protests and student walk-outs.
“We reject any characterization that implies our schools are unsafe or that we fail to protect the rights of all students,” LCPS told the DCNF. “We remain steadfast in our legal and ethical obligation to uphold the rights of every student and will continue to create and nurture an environment that is welcoming and accepting for all students, so that everyone has the opportunity to learn, grow and succeed.”
In nearby Arlington County, the public school superintendent recently doubled down on the district’s “inclusive” policies after a registered sex offender was caught repeatedly exposing himself to young girls on school property over the course of months.
“This is just the latest example of what happens when school boards disregard common sense,” Miyares said in the press release. “The safety, dignity, and privacy of every student in Virginia should be non-negotiable. This is about safety and privacy, not political correctness — and it’s time Loudoun County recognized that.”
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