Despite claiming to be unaware of any cases of sexual assault on their students on campus, Loudoun County school district official Scott Ziegler was in fact informed of such incident taking place on May 28. The proof is in an email he sent on that very day at 4:09 p.m. informing the Loudoun County school board that there was "an incident that occurred" at Stone Bridge High School.
"This afternoon, a female student alleged that a male student sexually assaulted her in the restroom," Ziegler, the Superintendent at Loudoun County, wrote in the email as reported by local news station WTOP-TV. "The [Loudoun County Sheriff's Office] is investigating the matter."
Ziegler also wrote in the email, "Secondary to the assault investigation, the female student's parent responded to the school and caused a disruption by using threatening and profane language that was overheard by staff and students." The Superintendent added that "law enforcement units" responded to their call to "assist with the parent."
This is in stark contrast to Ziegler's comments during a June 22 school board meeting, during which he claimed there was no record of any sexual assaults in the bathroom, Faithwire reported. His email on May 28 was proof that they already had prior knowledge of such an incident happening at Stone Bridge High School.
This raises concern among parents that not only did Ziegler lie about being aware of such an incident, but that the school district continued to uphold its transgender policies that would allow anyone into the girls' bathroom as long as a male claimed to identify as female.
Several parents raised their concerns that this would put their children in danger, but Ziegler argued that "The predator transgender student or person simply does not exist. We don't have any record of assault occurring in our restrooms."
The blatant lie was upsetting to Scott Smith, the father whose child attends Stone Bridge High School and was the victim of an alleged sexual assault in late May when she was attacked by a cross-dressing teenage boy. During the June board meeting, Smith became visibly angry at the school board as they continued to deny that such an incident existed. Finally, last week Ziegler apologized for his "misleading" claim.
"I am sorry that we failed to provide the safe, welcoming, and affirming environment that we aspire to provide," Ziegler said. "We acknowledge and share your pain and we will continue to offer you support to help your families through this trauma."
Smith's family now plans to file a civil lawsuit against the school and is being represented by the Stanley Law Group, accusing the Loudoun County school board of "[failing] to provide the safe environment" for the teenage girl who was assaulted. Fallout within the school board has since continued with the resignation of Beth Barts, a board member who asked Ziegler if there were any sexual assaults occurring in the school district.
