Virginia officials probe infamous school district over locker room incident involving transgender student

After a Virginia school district announced it’s investigating three boys for sexual harassment for objecting to a girl using their locker room, the state’s governor and attorney general launched their own inquiry – into the district’s allowing her there in the first place.

Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Attorney General Jason Miyares expressed outrage after Loudoun County Public Schools began investigating the boys for possible Title IX violations at Stone Bridge High School in March.

The investigation followed a complaint from a female student who identifies as male and recorded the boys’ comments on her phone.

The boys’ parents argue they didn’t do anything wrong, and that the girl was the one who violated school policy by shooting video in the locker room.

The video prompted the district to investigate whether the boys had violated Title IX, the federal civil rights law prohibiting sex-based discrimination. But Youngkin and Miyares say the investigation should have gone the other way. 

The district’s investigation targeting the boys also prompted outrage from parents who voiced their concerns at a recent school board meeting. 

Outrage also flowed from the governor’s office. 

“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 a release. “Even more alarming, the victims of this violation are the ones being investigated – this is beyond belief.”  

Youngkin, who has stood against the radical trans agenda, said he had asked 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,” the governor said, adding his administration has issued model policies requiring students to use facilities based on their birth sex and ensuring parents are informed if schools allow them to do otherwise. 

Miyares called the situation another example of the district ignoring “common sense,” and said school leaders should prioritize student safety and privacy over “political correctness.” 

Renae Smith, mother of one of the boys involved, told the school board her son had been “wrongfully accused of a Title IX violation.” 

“In truth, he is the victim of a Title IX violation, ignored and unsupported by the very system that is supposed to protect him,” she said, according to NBC News 4. 

Josh Hetzler, an attorney with the Founding Freedoms Law Center, which is representing the boys, urged the district to drop the sexual harassment investigation, citing the lasting impact it could have on their futures. 

“These types of Title IX sexual harassment investigations can really derail a young man’s life, especially as they’re going into college, starting a career,” Hetzler said. “These have a way of really stigmatizing them, especially when they’re unfounded, like this was.” 

The same high school made national news four years ago when a male student sexually assaulted a female student in a girls’ bathroom, NBC reported. Shortly after, the district implemented a policy explicitly allowing students to use facilities according to their gender identity. 

Seth Wolfe, parent of another boy accused in the recent incident, said the district should revise its bathroom policy. 

“By allowing these policies to overlap, we are creating the very environment Title IX is meant to guard against – one filled with confusion, mistrust and unequal treatment,” he said. “Students are left unsure of their rights.” 

Loudoun County is one of Virginia’s largest school districts, serving more than 81,000 students. Located near Washington, D.C., the district encompasses many affluent suburbs and has embraced progressive policies on gender identity, similar to neighboring Fairfax County.  

Earlier this year, Parents Defending Education, now Defending Education, labelled them among the 13 worst districts in the nation for embracing wokeism and leftist ideology. 

Since taking office in January, President Donald Trump has issued various executive orders banning transgender and diversity, equity and inclusion policies. Some districts are revising their policies while others are doubling down on so-called transgender rights.