Upon receiving the special grand jury report released on Tuesday, parents in Virginia demanded the resignation of Loudoun County School Board members, citing safety concerns as the reason for their resignation. In response to the special grand jury report, Loudoun County parents called for school board members to resign for failing to alert the community about multiple sexual assaults in the district.
Scott Ziegler, the former Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) superintendent, was indicted Monday on three misdemeanor charges, including punishing an employee for showing up to court.
“You and your allies tried and failed to discredit and obstruct the grand jury and then you spiked the football on your own 20-yard line,” a Loudoun County parent explained at the meeting. “You chose to be history’s notes. There is no escape from that legacy. You have a choice: unconditional surrender or unconditional surrender.”
Is anyone following the grand jury report report on the Louden County VA School Board? #Shameful The “Woke” culture is sick. #WokenessIsEvil
— Rod (@Docrod007) December 7, 2022
Ahead of Ziegler’s indictment, the board was relieved that they were getting off scot-free. Parents criticized the board for voicing its approval of the grand jury report.
“You have wasted enough of our time and our money and you have shown that you put politics and agendas above the best interest of our children, putting them in harm’s way,” Elicia Brand-Leudemann, a Loudoun County parent, said at the board meeting. Brand-Leudamann said more indictments would come down, and the entire board would be compromised. She further cited Loudoun County School Board Vice Chair Ian Serotkin as shameful for prematurely celebrating no charges.
A grand jury found that the district was aware of multiple sexual assaults that happened in 2021. School officials didn’t tell the community about the assaults because of “privacy concerns.” According to the report, Loudoun County Public School administrators looked out for themselves instead of the students and families in the schools.
Division Counsel Robert Falconi presented the school board with eight policy revisions to prevent the mishandling of sexual assaults. According to the grand jury report, the school district should provide as much relevant information as possible about security incidents.
In addition to the policy revisions, the board heard the grand jury’s recommendations regarding improvements to the district’s transfer process. Students transferring due to disciplinary action would require a meeting between their former and future school administrations, the Office of Safety and Security, and any necessary outside agencies.
