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Furious parents expressed their outrage at a Virginia county school board meeting on Tuesday following the news that three boys are under investigation after they were recorded in a male locker room voicing concerns about a biological female changing alongside them.
The Loudoun County Public Schools, which gained national attention in 2021 when a father was forcibly removed from a board meeting for speaking out about his daughter’s sexual assault by a transgender student, is currently investigating the boys for potential violations of Title IX.
The transgender boy, who is biologically female, recorded the encounter in which the boys questioned the presence of what they referred to as “a girl” in their locker room. One of the students expressed that he felt “uncomfortable” with the situation, sparking further debate.
Though recording in locker rooms is typically illegal, a Loudoun County Public Schools official confirmed that none of the boys appeared in compromising positions in the video, and thus, no privacy laws were deemed violated.
Despite this determination, the boys face investigation under policy 8040, a contentious guideline adopted in 2021 that allows students to use restrooms and locker rooms that correspond with their gender identity rather than their biological sex.
Scott Smith, the father who previously confronted the school board in 2021, took to the microphone during Tuesday’s meeting to chastise board members. He accused them of initially downplaying the sexual assault of his daughter, stressing that their policies could lead to similar outcomes for other students.
Smith declared, “And now four years later you’re doing the same thing. You’re victimizing innocent children over the priority of kids that don’t know.” His passionate remarks were cut short as his microphone went silent after his minute-long speaking slot ended.
Smith continued, “I’m not done yet. You guys are sick and pathetic,” prompting applause from the audience.
Unlike previous meetings, the words of Smith and approximately 130 other parents who voiced their opinions were not recorded on video due to the board’s earlier decision to exclude video display during public comment sessions. Smith criticized this move as an attempt to stifle public dissent against their policies.
Suzanne Satterfield, another parent, directed her ire toward the board, stating that children depend on adults to ensure their safety. She emphasized, “Every girl and boy has the right to feel secure using private spaces without being invaded by the opposite sex,” advocating for a reassessment of policy 8040.
Speaker Amy Paul also voiced her discontent, labeling the policy as “insane.” She said, “You all have helped facilitate this charade for long enough and it’s time to put an end to the madness. You’re investigating three young men for having common sense enough to state the obvious, girls do not belong in boys’ locker rooms.”
Smith previously faced a conviction for disorderly conduct during the contentious board meeting in 2021, but he has since received a pardon from Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin.
In contrast to the criticism of policy 8040, one female speaker defended the board’s stance, arguing that the policy was created with expert input, substantial data, and community feedback to ensure that all students feel safe, seen, and supported.
She asserted, “Transgender people exist. They always have. No executive order, sermon, or public comment can erase them.” She cautioned against denying the existence of transgender students, stating, “We cannot, in good faith, debate policies impacting students if we deny the existence of those very students. That’s not discourse. That’s dehumanization.”
These events unfolded against the backdrop of an escalating national conversation surrounding transgender issues, particularly in educational settings. Governor Youngkin has requested the state attorney general to launch an independent investigation into how Loudoun County Public Schools has been handling this matter.
Moreover, the controversy in Loudoun County coincided with a separate incident where parents and residents clashed at a school board meeting in the Chicago area over a transgender junior high school student winning multiple events at a local track meet.
As discussions surrounding gender identity and student rights continue to evolve, the outcome of the investigation in Loudoun County will likely become a focal point for both advocates and opponents of current school policies regarding transgender students.
Parents and community members remain deeply divided, but one thing is certain: this situation encapsulates a larger struggle over the balance between students’ rights and the concerns of parents regarding safety and inclusivity in schools.
