Loudoun County School District (LCSD) is being sued for disciplining two male students last Friday who were expressly uncomfortable with a trans-identifying female student sharing their locker room, which was captured on camera by the latter student.
The incident occurred in late May at Stone Bridge High School.
It is against district policy to record other students; however, this was not addressed by the district. Instead, the district’s Title IX office found the students guilty of sexual harassment and sex-based discrimination for their actions, which included the statements of “There’s a girl!” and “Why is there a girl in here?” according to recorded audio from the video.
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares expressed frustration and confusion over the district’s decision.
“I can’t imagine how uncomfortable it would be to have a member of the opposite sex in the locker room where people were obviously changing clothes, and then later, on top of that, recording it,” Miyares said. “Even though they’re the victims in this, somehow, they’re being treated as perpetrators. I think this is an example, yet again, a school district that tries to be so open-minded their brain falls out.”
Founding Freedoms Law Center is representing the students legally. The center commented that the students are being issued a “corrective plan” alongside their requirement to “execute a no-contact order between himself and the complainant.” One student, however, left the district, but will be required to serve the suspension if he returns. The other will remain as his family fights LCSPS’s actions in court.
Virginia Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears also commented on the incident to ABC 7 News.
“It’s ludicrous,” Earle-Sears said. “Boys are not comfortable undressing in front of nude girls in the same locker room, in spaces that they were not normally have access to. The boys are saying this, and the boys who should be applauded are not being applauded. Instead, they’re being punished for something that’s common sense.”
