In one of his first actions after taking office, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin ordered the commonwealth鈥檚 attorney general to investigate Loudoun County Public School鈥檚 response to two sexual assaults聽committed by a 15-year-old high school student.
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares announced the opening of the investigation in a press release.
鈥淟oudoun Country [sic] Public Schools covered up a sexual assault on school grounds for political gain, leading to an additional assault of a young girl,鈥� Miyares said.
The announcement came amid ongoing criticism of the school system for its handling of the situation, which began in May, when a teenager sexually assaulted a schoolmate in a bathroom at Stone Bridge High School. After the first incident, the student was transferred to Broad Run High School, where he was accused of groping another student.
鈥淲hat we’re going to be looking into is the entire circumstances around the decisions that were made to actually move this young man from one school to another, to not inform parents, to not inform the community and oh, by the way, clearly to put other students in risk for their safety,鈥� Youngkin told FOX 海角社区app Sunday.
The governor said the decision to move the student and not initially notify parents about the sexual assault investigation at Stone Bridge High School put the safety of students at risk. The May 28 incident only became public after the victim鈥檚 father told the Daily Wire that the same teen who attacked his daughter also groped another student at Broad Run in October.
鈥淭here is strong, strong, strong evidence that in fact it was not only not taken seriously in Loudoun County, it was hidden,鈥� Youngkin said.
In addition to school officials, the county鈥檚 school board has also faced backlash for how the situation was handled, after is was discovered Superintendent Scott Ziegler alerted the board about the Loudoun County Sheriff鈥檚 Office鈥檚 investigation into the first sexual assault.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to get full transparency and we鈥檙e going to make sure that we hold this school board accountable for the decisions that were made,鈥� Youngkin said.
海角社区app reached out to Loudoun County Public Schools for comment. Ziegler has apologized for the school system鈥檚 reaction to the cases, and LCPS announced last week steps being taken to better respond to allegations of sexual assault.
The school system also hired the law firm Blankingship & Keith, P.C. to conduct a review of how the cases were handled, but announced the report would be withheld from the public.
The governor also said while he is surprised no one has stepped down in response to the handing of the cases, he said he expects resignations at the conclusion of the investigation.
The student accused in both sexual assaults was sentenced to probation and must register as a sex offender for the May 28 assault at Stone Bridge High School. The teen was also found responsible for abduction and sexual battery in the Oct. 6 assault at Broad Run High School.
