By Shirleen Guerra | The Center Square
(The Center Square) – Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares has referred Loudoun County Public Schools and the Loudoun County School Board to the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice.
Miyares’ office found the school division launched a Title IX investigation into three boys who objected to sharing a locker room with a biological female at Stone Bridge High School.
The investigation “revealed significant concerns regarding potential violations of Title IX, unlawful retaliation, and viewpoint discrimination,” according to the attorney general’s office.
“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,” Miyares said in a Monday press release.
“Title IX was never meant to be used as a weapon against free speech or religious convictions. Every student in Virginia deserves the right to speak openly, think freely, and live according to their conscience without fear of retaliation. Protecting those rights is not political—it’s foundational to who we are as Americans,” the attorney general added.
The attorney general’s office said LCPS “initiated a retaliatory Title IX investigation” against the students after they raised “sincere religious objections” to the division’s Policy 8040, which permits students to use sex-separated facilities based on gender identity.
“Rather than safeguarding the constitutional rights of all students, LCPS appears to be punishing those who hold and express faith-based views,” the statement said.
The press release also stated there are “persistent reports that LCPS and the School Board take adverse and potentially unlawful action against parents, teachers, and public speakers.”
“Accordingly, the Virginia Office of the Attorney General has referred this matter, Loudoun County Public Schools, and the Loudoun County School Board to the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights and the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division for further investigation and appropriate action,” the release added.
In a June 3 email, a Loudoun County Public Schools spokesperson said the division had not received any official communication from the attorney general beyond press releases and media coverage. “LCPS never received any official communication from the Attorney General opening an investigation beyond press releases and media coverage, was not provided an opportunity to meaningfully participate in any such investigation, and, to date, no findings have been shared with LCPS,” the email stated. The division said it continues to focus on following applicable law and ensuring all students are safe.
Loudoun County Public Schools did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication. This is a developing story.
