Loudoun County School Board member resigns after student sexual assault cover-up scandal

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The Post Millennial

"This was not an easy decision or a decision made in haste. After much thought and careful consideration, it is the right decision for me and my family," the resignation letter stated.

Hannah Nightingale

October 15, 2021

As the parents, students, staff, and residents still process the constant stream of revelations coming from the Loudoun County Public Schools and the school board regarding cases of sexual assault over the last year and their apparent cover-ups, one school board member has submitted her resignation.

On Friday, just one day after The Daily Wire revealed that LCPS failed to properly report several cases of sexual assault as required by state law over a span of years, Beth Barts, a school board member representing Leesburg, revealed on Facebook that she has submitted her resignation, effective Nov. 2, 2021.

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Zielger also referenced the June 22 school board meeting in which Scott Smith, the father of the May 28 victim, was arrested by police for obstruction of justice and disorderly conduct. "Lastly, I want to speak to my comments at the June 22nd board meeting related to bathrooms. Board Member Barts asked a question about discipline incidents in the bathrooms that I wrongly interpreted as incidents involving transgender and gender-fluid students. I did this because I was viewing the question in light of the general questions and debate around policy 8040 that was occurring at the time," said Ziegler.

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Email shows Loudoun County School Board knew about sexual assault the day it happened

John Sexton

Oct 22, 2021

If you’ve been following this story then you already know the background but for those who haven’t here’s a very brief version. On May 28 a male student wearing a skirt entered a girl’s bathroom at a school in Loudoun County, Virginia and sexually assaulted a freshman girl. The girl’s father, Scott Smith, came to the school and caused a scene which led to police being called. Jump forward a few weeks to June 22 and Scott Smith went to a Loudoun County school board meeting where parents were objecting to a new bathroom policy which would allow transgender students to use the bathroom of their choice.

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But thanks to WTOP, we now know that Ziegler, Barts and every other member of the board were aware of the May assault in a high school bathroom. Here’s a screenshot of the full email sent by Ziegler himself to the other board members on May 28, the same day the assault happened.

 

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Loudoun School Board Sues To Shut Down Grand Jury Investigating Rape Cover-up

Luke Rosiak

May 20, 2022 

A Northern Virginia school board is seeking an injunction to stop a grand jury from investigating its handling of the restroom rape of a student by a classmate in a scandalous case that made national news.

The move by the Loudoun County School Board is the latest in a series of measures seemingly aimed at avoiding public scrutiny of the scandal, including commissioning an “independent” review of the rape but then refusing to release it to the public. Victoria LaCivita, spokeswoman for state Attorney General Jason Miyares, called the injunction a waste of taxpayers’ money.

“Loudoun County Public Schools stated publicly they would cooperate with the special grand jury,” LaCivita told WTOP in a statement. “Asking for an injunction is just the latest in a series of efforts to prevent the citizens of Loudoun from learning the truth about conditions existing in Loudoun County public schools that promote criminal activity, proving this investigation is warranted and necessary.”

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Loudoun County School Board Votes to Hide Report Into Male ‘Gender-Fluid’ Student Raping Students from Parents

Tony Kinnett

February 15, 2023

The Loudoun County Public Schools school board voted on Tuesday night to keep the findings of an independent report on sexual assault private. The report, compiled by the law firm Blankingship and Keith, focused on how the district responded to two sexual assault incidents at Stone Bridge High School in May 2021. The 15-year-old “gender fluid” male student pleaded guilty to counts of rape in “forced sodomy” and “forced fellatio” against a teenage girl at Stone Bridge. The student allegedly sexually assaulted another teenage girl at Broad Run High School while waiting for his first trial.

The school board claimed that it had to keep the repot secret because it would reveal students’ personal data, in violation of the law. School Board Member John Beatty contested this claim, telling The Daily Signal that he made a motion to redact students’ names in releasing the report.

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Ex-Virginia Schools Boss Disgraced In Trans Rape Case Shows Up For Court With Earrings And Painted Nails
Luke Rosiak
Apr 7, 2023

The former Northern Virginia schools superintendent charged with covering up a rape by a gender-bending student showed up to court Thursday wearing earrings and painted nails, in the latest twist in a saga that has captivated the nation.

In December, Scott Ziegler was criminally indicted for three misdemeanors based on the work of a grand jury investigating how Ziegler lied about a rape by a skirt-wearing boy while the Loudoun County school board was seeking to pass a transgender policy. The boy remained in Loudoun schools and went on to violently assault a second girl in a classroom. Ziegler’s spokesman, Wayde Byard, was also indicted on a felony count.

On Thursday, however, the formerly businessman-like superintendent showed up for a court date sporting earrings and fingernails painted black.

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Jury Finds Former Loudoun County Superintendent Guilty Of Crime Stemming From Trans Rape Coverup

Former Superintendent Scott Ziegler used his position to retaliate against a teacher who cooperated with Virginia investigators
Luke Rosiak
Sep 29, 2023

LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. — A jury of six women and one man on Friday found ex-Loudoun County Public Schools Superintendent Scott Ziegler guilty of using his position to retaliate against a teacher for cooperating with a grand jury investigating how the district handled sexual assault.

After a four-day trial plus a day of deliberations, the jury found that Ziegler wrongfully fired a teacher who had disclosed to Virginia investigators about mishandling of sexual assault in her classroom. Ziegler was convicted of using his official position to retaliate against someone for exercising their rights, and acquitted of punishing someone for testifying to a jury, both misdemeanors.

Ziegler could face up to 12 months in jail, a $2,500 fine, or both. Sentencing in the trial will occur on January 4, 2024, Judge Douglas Fleming Jr. said. Ziegler’s victim, former special education teacher Erin Brooks, clasped her hands in front of her mouth in emotion after the verdict was read.

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