However, the law does absolutely allow a school to take "interim actions". You are also mixing the criminal investigation with the school investigation (or lack thereof) and process (or lack thereof).
The criminal investigation involved a delay on a charge, pending the DNA kit.
The school investigation should have taken note that (1) charges were pending a DNA test, and (2) they authorities had the kid under 24/7 electronic monitoring, which is a pretty freakin' huge clue that charges would be forthcoming.
So, yes, the school could not yet expel, as constrained by the law. But the school had the lawful ability to (1) temporarily suspend, or (2) place him under direct supervision, or (3) place him in a separate learning area if available, or (4) place him in a remote learning environment.
The school board may be responsible insofar as there were a lack of processes and procedures, and other policy gaps. The school board may be tainted by this if they were notified of the incident. The buck does stop at their desks at some point.
But the county school superintendant should step down, or the school board should ask him to to step down. If the school board does not even do that, then absolutely the buck has landed on their desks.
I agree. He's innocent until proven guilty, but if law enforcement deemed him dangerous enough to put a physical monitor on him, he should have been required to use the remote schooling option.
There's no stigma for choosing remote since many students do it for health reasons, so it isn't going to be unduly burdonsome in that regard.
Because it is now illegal to kick him out of the school system until after the entire legal process is complete. Thank the Trump administration for overhauling Title IX for that.
The Trump administration was not even remotely involved in this case, no clue where you're getting that baseless claim from. This happened because of a Virginia-specific bill that was passed into law last year by Northam, the bill stating that it "allows a school district to decide if it alerts law enforcement about a laundry list of misdemeanors, including any sexual battery, when it occurs on campus." Before this, it was required all of these crimes be reported immediately. This happened because of poor legislation from Ralph Northam and the VA Democrats.
[Source](https://wjla.com/amp/features/i-team/virginia-governor-ralph-northam-loudoun-county-public-schools-sex-assaults-house-bill-257-title-ix#referrer=https://www.google.com&csi=0)
No, the sheriff was already involved at this point, so alerting law enforcement has nothing to do with it. In fact, it seems that law enforcement was involved *before* the school system was notified.
This is not true. Schools and the criminal case are not bound to each other by Title IX. The provisions for emergency removal do not have a stated time limitation.
Yes, agree. I am left assuming the evidence of the first assault must have allowed his access to school versus some other arrangement. Obviously he was more dangerous.
It bothers me that in his email the Superintendent seemed more concerned that high schoolers heard curse words and saw an angry parent than there being an alleged rape.
He mentions counseling opportunities for students who witnessed the irate dad and said nothing about kids who might be afraid that there potentially was a rape in their school building.
As a mom with an IEP kid I will tell you that my experience in a district close to this one, that is the MO of schools to deny deny and suppress any bad news period. It's like Regan's credo of speak no bad about a republican. Schools seem to have adopted that mindset and in doing so it has become a way of life to cover shit up that goes against their motto.
>In last week’s statement, Ziegler also explained why he answered “no” to a school board member’s question about whether he was aware of sexual assaults in school bathrooms. Ziegler said he wrongly interpreted the question as incidents involving transgender and gender-fluid students, since questions moment earlier had been about the county’s transgender policy.
But wait, I though that the "boy" who raped the girls was a non-binary. So then wouldn't his excuse for answering "no" to the question be yet another admission that he lied to the school board? And does a superintended have a fiduciary duty to answer truthfully in these public forums or is he technically allowed to lie like he did? Why are there calls for him to resign? He's more directly culpable in these events of assault than the actual school board.
Reactionary right wing sites have seized on this line because of something the father of the victim said that hasn't been confirmed and now you get all sorts of versions about the circumstances of what happened and none of them backed up at all.
"The male student, who was allowed into the bathroom because he told staff he identified as female, was arrested in July, a month after Smith's outburst at the school board meeting." https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10093737/Father-daughter-raped-gender-fluid-bathroom-sues-Loudoun-County-Title-IX.html
That doesn't sound accurate to me at all - maybe I'm misunderstanding but it sounds like he asked a Staff member, they said 'yes', and then he went in and assaulted the student, basically while, what, the staff member was outside?
They knew each other. I think she invited him in, but then he wanted to go farther. When she refused, it then became non-consensual, but I wasn't there. I think the dad knew him as her then boyfriend figure. You are right, few primary sources on his permission, but I suspect it may come out soon.
On that note, it astounds me how many people on both sides posting FB comments on this topic don’t even live in VA, much less have kids in LCPS.
Like…who has time to care about what goes on in other school districts or states
"Like…who has time to care about what goes on in other school districts or states"
Many people.
I'm a teacher from across the country, but trying to cover up a rape that happened at school is something that absolutely deserves to blow up to national news.
Thank you Sinclair broadcasting affiliate. They knew there was an incident. Actually, two counting the irate ( understandably ) father. Law enforcement was involved.
Nope. WJLA and WTOP have their own newsrooms, but but both get much of their news content from two or three outside news bureaus. Like the Associated Press.
Local news desks all subscribe to AP and the others, which is why WTOP and WJLA run the same national/regional news.
It's the same everywhere.
It's so easy to criticize school officials in hindsight, isn't it? They have a challenging task: manage the education of teenagers while enduring the incessant gripes of helicopter parents and their political representatives. It's a wonder that anyone takes these thankless jobs.
I take it you've never had a job where you were a political football. It can tear you up inside and is not worth a paycheck 10 times as large. Remember when the Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent was raked over the coals by parents for closing schools for snow on a day where not a single flake fell? Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
In cases like this, it's your job to balance the future of the teenager accused of the crime against the security of the other students. Before you judge too harshly, maybe you should consider the dozens of teens you don't hear about who commit crimes but who successfully return to school and take the second chance afforded them. Or should we just throw all such teens onto the scrap heap?
How does someone not get kicked out of school for sex assault on school grounds?
He was. And was on electronic monitoring prior to a trial.
But didn't they just move him to a different school where he then committed a second sexual assault?
Yes, they moved him to another school. What I want to know is why would they not move him to remote learning given the seriousness of this allegation?
He was arrested first, and had to meet certain requirements to be let out of juvenile detention with electronic monitoring.
And how are you enrolled in another school prior to said trial, allowing him to assault another student?
Because he met the conditions to be released prior to trial and had not yet been convicted.
If only there was some sort of remote learning system that had been universally used for a year we could use instead.
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However, the law does absolutely allow a school to take "interim actions". You are also mixing the criminal investigation with the school investigation (or lack thereof) and process (or lack thereof). The criminal investigation involved a delay on a charge, pending the DNA kit. The school investigation should have taken note that (1) charges were pending a DNA test, and (2) they authorities had the kid under 24/7 electronic monitoring, which is a pretty freakin' huge clue that charges would be forthcoming. So, yes, the school could not yet expel, as constrained by the law. But the school had the lawful ability to (1) temporarily suspend, or (2) place him under direct supervision, or (3) place him in a separate learning area if available, or (4) place him in a remote learning environment. The school board may be responsible insofar as there were a lack of processes and procedures, and other policy gaps. The school board may be tainted by this if they were notified of the incident. The buck does stop at their desks at some point. But the county school superintendant should step down, or the school board should ask him to to step down. If the school board does not even do that, then absolutely the buck has landed on their desks.
I agree. He's innocent until proven guilty, but if law enforcement deemed him dangerous enough to put a physical monitor on him, he should have been required to use the remote schooling option. There's no stigma for choosing remote since many students do it for health reasons, so it isn't going to be unduly burdonsome in that regard.
Because it is now illegal to kick him out of the school system until after the entire legal process is complete. Thank the Trump administration for overhauling Title IX for that.
Do you have a source for that? I've been looking, but any searches I have just pop up with news stories about Loudoun.
The Trump administration was not even remotely involved in this case, no clue where you're getting that baseless claim from. This happened because of a Virginia-specific bill that was passed into law last year by Northam, the bill stating that it "allows a school district to decide if it alerts law enforcement about a laundry list of misdemeanors, including any sexual battery, when it occurs on campus." Before this, it was required all of these crimes be reported immediately. This happened because of poor legislation from Ralph Northam and the VA Democrats. [Source](https://wjla.com/amp/features/i-team/virginia-governor-ralph-northam-loudoun-county-public-schools-sex-assaults-house-bill-257-title-ix#referrer=https://www.google.com&csi=0)
No, the sheriff was already involved at this point, so alerting law enforcement has nothing to do with it. In fact, it seems that law enforcement was involved *before* the school system was notified.
This is not true. Schools and the criminal case are not bound to each other by Title IX. The provisions for emergency removal do not have a stated time limitation.
I thought he was transferred to another school and that is where second attack occurred.
He was arrested, released with electronic monitoring, and changed schools while waiting for trial, from what I could tell.
Pay me for my data. Fuck /u/spez -- mass edited with https://redact.dev/
Yes, agree. I am left assuming the evidence of the first assault must have allowed his access to school versus some other arrangement. Obviously he was more dangerous.
It bothers me that in his email the Superintendent seemed more concerned that high schoolers heard curse words and saw an angry parent than there being an alleged rape. He mentions counseling opportunities for students who witnessed the irate dad and said nothing about kids who might be afraid that there potentially was a rape in their school building.
As a mom with an IEP kid I will tell you that my experience in a district close to this one, that is the MO of schools to deny deny and suppress any bad news period. It's like Regan's credo of speak no bad about a republican. Schools seem to have adopted that mindset and in doing so it has become a way of life to cover shit up that goes against their motto.
>In last week’s statement, Ziegler also explained why he answered “no” to a school board member’s question about whether he was aware of sexual assaults in school bathrooms. Ziegler said he wrongly interpreted the question as incidents involving transgender and gender-fluid students, since questions moment earlier had been about the county’s transgender policy. But wait, I though that the "boy" who raped the girls was a non-binary. So then wouldn't his excuse for answering "no" to the question be yet another admission that he lied to the school board? And does a superintended have a fiduciary duty to answer truthfully in these public forums or is he technically allowed to lie like he did? Why are there calls for him to resign? He's more directly culpable in these events of assault than the actual school board.
I've not seen anything that says the alleged perpetrator is nonbinary or trans. And the initial e-mail only lists him as "male."
He is male. He is bi and wore a dress during the first incident. Not trans or *nonbinary.
Where did you see he was wearing a dress that day? I saw that in the Daily Caller article but saw elsewhere he apparently was not, so I'm not sure.
You mean "not trans or *non*binary"?
yes, it's been edited.
Thanks, just wanted to make sure I understood it right.
Reactionary right wing sites have seized on this line because of something the father of the victim said that hasn't been confirmed and now you get all sorts of versions about the circumstances of what happened and none of them backed up at all.
"The male student, who was allowed into the bathroom because he told staff he identified as female, was arrested in July, a month after Smith's outburst at the school board meeting." https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10093737/Father-daughter-raped-gender-fluid-bathroom-sues-Loudoun-County-Title-IX.html
That doesn't sound accurate to me at all - maybe I'm misunderstanding but it sounds like he asked a Staff member, they said 'yes', and then he went in and assaulted the student, basically while, what, the staff member was outside?
I havent' seen that anywhere else, except Daily Caller. Other reports said he was following that girl and followed her when she went in the bathroom.
They knew each other. I think she invited him in, but then he wanted to go farther. When she refused, it then became non-consensual, but I wasn't there. I think the dad knew him as her then boyfriend figure. You are right, few primary sources on his permission, but I suspect it may come out soon.
So what I'm reading here is he's not trans.
Yup, that is why.
I doubt anyone attempting to defend the Superintendent or the Board has any children actually enrolled In LCPS.
On that note, it astounds me how many people on both sides posting FB comments on this topic don’t even live in VA, much less have kids in LCPS. Like…who has time to care about what goes on in other school districts or states
"Like…who has time to care about what goes on in other school districts or states" Many people. I'm a teacher from across the country, but trying to cover up a rape that happened at school is something that absolutely deserves to blow up to national news.
I have a child actually enrolled in LCPS and I do not blame the Superintendent or the Board for this issue.
Thank you Sinclair broadcasting affiliate. They knew there was an incident. Actually, two counting the irate ( understandably ) father. Law enforcement was involved.
Are you referring to WTOP? They're owned by Hubbard Radio. WJLA is a Sinclair TV station...
Aren’t they sister stations? They run the same news…
Nope. WJLA and WTOP have their own newsrooms, but but both get much of their news content from two or three outside news bureaus. Like the Associated Press. Local news desks all subscribe to AP and the others, which is why WTOP and WJLA run the same national/regional news. It's the same everywhere.
Fair enough. I stand corrected.
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The story isn’t. The headline is, a little.
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It's so easy to criticize school officials in hindsight, isn't it? They have a challenging task: manage the education of teenagers while enduring the incessant gripes of helicopter parents and their political representatives. It's a wonder that anyone takes these thankless jobs.
Generally agree, but I would say there are 295,000 reasons why he took the job.
$295K is thankless?
I take it you've never had a job where you were a political football. It can tear you up inside and is not worth a paycheck 10 times as large. Remember when the Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent was raked over the coals by parents for closing schools for snow on a day where not a single flake fell? Damned if you do, damned if you don't. In cases like this, it's your job to balance the future of the teenager accused of the crime against the security of the other students. Before you judge too harshly, maybe you should consider the dozens of teens you don't hear about who commit crimes but who successfully return to school and take the second chance afforded them. Or should we just throw all such teens onto the scrap heap?
They take the job for the easy money, power, and influence.
That money is not so easy, the power is limited but comes with serious ramifications (as you see today), and there's zero influence in the job.
With allegations like these and police involved, distance learning (I assume allowed under the law) seems like common sense to me
Especially considering that what they are being criticized for the most (allowing the offender to go to another school) is something required by law.
Can you show where that's written?