Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) in Virginia is facing criticism after suspending two boys and charging them with “sexual harassment” and “sex-based discrimination.”
The incident took place in March at Stone Bridge High School, located roughly 35 miles northwest of Washington, D.C., when a female student, who identifies as male, was allowed to change in the boys' locker room.
After gym class one day, the student used her phone to record several boys who were curious about why a girl was in their locker room.
Attorneys from the Founding Freedoms Law Center (FFLC) argue that the 10-day suspensions the boys received threaten their academic records and future prospects. One boy faces additional penalties, including a no-contact order and a requirement to work with administration on a correction plan.
The suspensions will keep both boys out of school for the first two weeks of the school year. Notably, one student, who no longer resides in the district, was still disciplined, raising concerns about LCPS's apparent targeting of students who challenge its gender policies, according to an FFLC spokesperson.
In June, LCPS dismissed a “sexual harassment” charge against one of the three Stone Bridge High School sophomore boys who had complained about the district’s policy allowing trans-identifying students to use restrooms or locker rooms designated for the opposite sex, FFLC reported.
FFLC attorneys say they are preparing to defend the boys and ensure that the district’s correction plan does not become a tool for indoctrination. The Center also raised questions about inconsistencies in LCPS’s rulings, noting that a Muslim boy facing similar allegations was acquitted, while the two boys from Christian families were found guilty.
Victoria Cobb, president of FFLC, condemned the school district’s actions: “We’ve seen time and time again that Loudoun County, if given the opportunity to do the right thing, will instead do the wrong thing. LCPS once again shows it is willing to harm students in the name of woke ideology. Punishing boys for raising legitimate privacy concerns is outrageous.”
“To punish boys who complain that a biological girl is in their changing area is a top-down effort to normalize unacceptable privacy invasions,” Cobb added.
Josh Hetzler, legal counsel for the families, criticized LCPS’s actions as a violation of federal law, stating, “By making an example out of these boys and punishing them for complaining about a girl being in their locker room, LCPS shows its defiance of the U.S. Department of Education’s Title IX compliance demands.”
FFLC plans to “explore all” legal options and is urging the U.S. Department of Justice to “bring action to correct this wrong,” Hetzler added.
