Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said he was directing an investigation into what he called an “alarming” violation of student rights at a Loudon County school over a transgender policy.
The family of a student at Stone Bridge High School said he was accused of sexual harassment after asking why there was a biological girl in the boys’ locker room. The student is reportedly being investigated for allegedly violating Title IX, which forbids sex discrimination.
‘It’s astonishing that Loudoun school officials are subjecting him to a formal investigation for a bogus charge that could derail his life.’
On Tuesday, Youngkin responded to outrage over the case by announcing an investigation into the actions of the school district officials.
“Parental rights are not negotiable,” wrote the governor on social media.
“It’s deeply concerning to read reports of yet another incident in Loudoun County schools where members of the opposite sex are violating the privacy of students in locker rooms,” he added. “Even more alarming, the victims of this violation are the ones being investigated.”
He went on to say that the state’s attorney general was investigating the matter in order to ensure that “every student’s privacy, dignity and safety are upheld.”
Details of the incident were documented in a lawsuit filed by the Founding Freedoms Law Center, which is representing the student. The male student, who is a high school sophomore, complained about the presence of a biological girl in the boys’ locker room and was recorded by the biological female. The recording also captured two other male students who expressed confusion and discomfort about the girl’s presence.
The district has a policy of allowing students to use bathrooms and locker rooms based on their gender identity and not their biological identity.
The boy’s father said the accusation could ruin his son’s life.
“My 15-year-old son is being unfairly targeted for simply asking a basic question that any boy would be asking in that situation. It’s astonishing that Loudoun school officials are subjecting him to a formal investigation for a bogus charge that could derail his life,” the father said.
A father of one of the boys commented to WJLA-TV; it was unclear if this was a different father.
“There were other boys asking the same question,” he said. “[LCPS] created a very uncomfortable situation. They’re young. They’re 15 years old. They’re expressing their opinions, and now they’re being targeted for expressing those opinions.”
WJLA pointed out that it was against school policy to record in school locker rooms, but the boys who were recorded are being investigated rather than the student who recorded them.
The father said the school needed to change its policy in order to protect all children.
“I think the policy itself creates an unsafe environment for all kids at all levels, from the elementary schools and middle school to the high school,” he added.
“I think it creates an unsafe and unclear message for them. I think by not having clear policies in line with the presidential mandates, that it has actually created these hostile environments, and environments that these young boys and young girls do not feel comfortable in,” the father explained. “I do want our son and his future and these other students to be protected, but I think that the bigger issue is that the policy itself is not keeping our students safe.”
A spokesperson for Loudon school district did not respond to a request for a comment from the Washington Times.
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