Virginia residents are rallying against parents who spoke out about an Arlington Public Schools (APS) District policy that allowed a serial sex offender to watch young girls change in a high school locker room for months.
The transgender proponents called on the district to maintain its policy allowing men to use women’s restrooms and locker rooms if they claim to be transgender after many parents voiced their concerns at a Jan. 30 school board meeting, according to ABC 7 News. Registered sex offender Richard K. Cox was arrested in December 2024 after several people reported a naked man watching women in the changing room of the Arlington Aquatic Center, which shares facilities with Washington Liberty-High School in Arlington, Virginia.
The man claimed to be transgender and had been allowed in the locker room for months despite complaints dating back to September of 2024.
“The gender identity of the person who entered the pool locker room is completely irrelevant to this conversation,” one speaker said at the school board meeting.
Another said that since the pool is open to the public, anyone is allowed to enter whichever locker room they choose, and changing the policy would not prevent future occurrences of sex offenders watching young girls.
Concerned parents called for an investigation into the school’s handling of the situation, saying “the district leadership failed to take the report seriously,” according to 7 News.
“Sadly, sexual predators exist and it will probably happen again,” one Arlington resident stated at the meeting. “There is not many things we can do to stop it.”
“I also encourage you not to backpedal on our supportive policies,” another said.
“I also request the APS board reject attacks from those within the community,” a man added. “Attempts to equate protections for trans kids to the actions of a sex offender is disgusting and it must be rebuked.”
APS Superintendent Francisco Durán released a statement doubling down on the district’s commitment to building an “inclusive community” for “those who identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community” following the incident, stating, “[o]ur facilities are designed to be safe, welcoming spaces where our community can come to connect, engage and focus on their health and well-being.” The district is allegedly considering resolving the issue by labeling the facilities as open to all genders.
APS and the APS school board did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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