Judge reveals investigation into LCPS' handling of 2 sex assaults

Julia Eisen – WMAL News | September 15, 2023

A long-awaited investigation report into Loudoun County’s two sexual assault cases committed by one student at two schools in 2021 was finally released Thursday under a judge’s order. The report stated that the school system lagged in investigating the case and the sheriff’s department failed to help the schools system once it finally started an investigation.

In May 2021, a male student sexually assaulted a girl in the women’s bathroom at Stone Bridge High School. An investigation was not immediately opened and just a couple months later, the same male student sexually assaulted a different female student in an empty classroom at Broad Run High School.

The school system disputed the report and said in a statement that LCPS has taken significant action in the past two years, making personnel changes and changing its policies to better respond to incidents.

The following is the full redacted report:

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin got involved in the incident last week when he pardoned Scott Smith, the father of the first assault victim, who made a scene at a Loudoun County school board meeting. Now Smith is suing.

“We look forward to finally getting this all resolved, to getting our family finally back in tact, and get what we deserve and that’s damages. We’ve been damaged very severely,” Smith said.

Former LCPS superintendent Scott Ziegler, who was fired amid the scandal, will face misdemeanor charges and is due in court next week.

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