Families in Loudoun County to reveal their future actions following school district suspensions in LCPS
In a contentious turn of events, Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) has suspended two students from Stone Bridge High School due to their interactions with a female student who identifies as male and uses the boys' locker room at school. The decision has sparked outrage from parents and political figures, with concerns over the school's handling of the situation and the potential impact on the students' futures.
The investigation, launched by LCPS's Title IX Office, determined that the two boys are responsible for sexual harassment and sex-based discrimination. The punishment includes a ten-day suspension, a no-contact order with the complainant, and a requirement to meet with school administrators to determine a corrective action plan.
Parents of the two boys have expressed anger and concern over the decision-making process and the lack of solid evidence. One parent, Renae Smith, pulled her son out of LCPS this summer and moved out of state. However, LCPS has stated that they will suspend her son if he returns.
Smith and another parent, Wolfe, believe LCPS is sending a message that students who express views that disagree with the school's Policy 8040 will be punished. They have taken legal action, with the Founding Freedoms Law Center suing LCPS over an unlawful, discriminatory, and retaliatory Title IX investigation.
The U.S. Department of Education has weighed in on the matter, determining that LCPS, along with four other Northern Virginia school districts, violate Title IX with their bathroom and locker room policies. As a result, the Department announced new sanctions, which could potentially cost each school district tens of millions of dollars a year.
Republican Virginia Lt. Governor Winsome Earle-Sears has criticized LCPS's bathroom and locker room policies and the punishment of the two students. She expressed concern that the school is prioritizing radical gender ideology over student safety.
The Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Justice has also expressed concern over LCPS's handling of the situation. 7News reached out to LCPS for a response to the Title IX office's findings but did not receive a response.
The U.S. Department of Education's statement implied that LCPS is prioritizing radical gender ideology over student safety. LCPS's policy allows students to use bathrooms and locker rooms at school based on self-determined gender identity, not biological sex.
In response to the backlash, all five school districts have announced they will not change their policies, citing a Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in the case of Grimm v. Gloucester County.
7News previously reported that the female student who identifies as male recorded a video in the locker room, which is a violation of district policy. The department's investigation was based on this video and the male-identifying student's complaint.
As the situation unfolds, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger has yet to comment on LCPS's discipline and school bathroom and locker room policies. 7News reached out to her team for comment but did not receive a response.
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