AG Miyares Releases Scathing Report of LCPS’s Handling of the “Loudoun Three”
On Monday, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares announced that his investigation into Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) over their handling of the three boys under investigation for complaining about a girl being in their locker room – whom we represent – has raised concerns about the potential weaponization of Title IX policies. He has now formally referred this matter to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division.
This controversy centers on an incident at Stone Bridge High School, where three male students expressed discomfort about sharing a locker room with a biological female student who identified as a male. LCSP responded by investigating the boys, not the female student who recorded the boys in the locker room, for “sexual harassment” under Title IX. This prompted Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin to direct Attorney General Miyares to launch a formal investigation of LCSP and its school board.
According to Miyares, “The investigation reveals a disturbing misuse of authority by Loudoun County Public Schools, where students appear to have been targeted not for misconduct, but for expressing their discomfort for being forced to share a locker room with a member of the opposite sex.” He added, “Every student in Virginia deserves the right to speak openly, think freely, and live according to their conscience without fear of retaliation.”
The LCPS investigation rests on their school policy 8040, which authorizes students to use bathrooms and locker rooms at the school based on their “gender identity” rather than their biological sex. Miyares called out this policy directly: “The reality is that Loudoun County Schools, what we have found, have bad policy and bad judgment. Policy 8040, which allows biological boys, not just in women's sports teams, but in locker rooms and bathrooms and on overnight trips and hotel rooms.” It is an understatement to conclude this is merely a bad policy directed by bad judgment, but a direct threat to the safety and security of all LCPS students.
Even more troubling, Miyares’ investigation produced evidence of religious retaliation and persecution. He notes, “That the three students sincerely held religious beliefs, some of these students in question are Christian, some were Muslim, but they basically were told to be silent, to be quiet and not to express their sincerely held religious beliefs over their objection to policy 8040.” Rather than protecting and safeguarding sincerely held religious beliefs, the Office of the Attorney General believes that LCPS appears to be punishing those who hold and express faith-based views that stand contrary to their policies. That fact, if proven, runs contrary not only to social standards but also to the foundation upon which Virginia and the United States are founded: the freedom to express and believe in one’s convictions and beliefs.
By referring this issue to the Department of Justice and the Department of Education, Miyares hopes that Federal authorities will step in and help these young men, ensuring that justice is upheld and the boys are protected. The weaponization of Title IX is an alarming concern for both the Federal and State Governments, as LCPS may be abusing their authority to punish not only students opposing their policies, but also attacking sincerely held religious beliefs. Miyares says that the consequences of a Title IX violation will be permanently recorded in these students’ records, which will have a lasting impact on their futures.
Now, with both the Virginia Attorney General and federal civil rights agencies involved, this provides even more hope that these three young men will be adequately protected and receive a fair and just resolution. The misuse of Title IX and the suppression of religious expression should concern every parent, student, and citizen. This case marks a pivotal stand against the abuse of power and the silencing of students who dare to speak their minds and live out their faith.