Virginia father says his son under investigation for questioning why female student was in boys' locker room
A Virginia father said on Wednesday that Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) officials launched an investigation into his son and two others for questioning why a biological female student was in the boys' locker room.
According to a May 5 report by Northern Virginia news outlet WJLA, the biological female student who identified as male recorded the three male students in the locker room talking about being uncomfortable about the transgender student being there. The transgender student then allegedly filed a complaint, which turned into a formal Title IX investigation for sexual harassment by LCPS.
Seth Wolfe told "Fox & Friends" on Wednesday that his son, a sophomore at Stone Bridge High School, was one of the three boys in the locker room that day and finds the whole situation confusing.
"This was a conversation that he was having among his peers. He wasn't even questioning the student or anything like that," Wolfe said. "And then not being able to have those rights to even question that, and on top of that, being investigated, it's very confusing."
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION PROBING SOME VIRGINIA SCHOOL DISTRICTS OVER GENDER IDENTITY POLICIES
The boys' lawyer, Founding Freedoms Law Center attorney Josh Hetzler, said, "I want to make very clear: These boys did absolutely nothing wrong. All they did was ask, ‘Why is there a girl in our locker room?’ and they expressed concern. None of the boys ever spoke to this girl once, so there is no basis for this investigation."
He said the school's gender policy violates state law and federal policy, citing President Donald Trump's executive orders on gender identity.
"That's a big problem for them, and we're going to have to address that," Hetzler told Fox & Friends. "It's truly an insane situation where the ones who are the real victims are the ones being punished."
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Tuesday that he and Attorney General Jason Miyares were launching an investigation into the locker room incident after WJLA's report.
"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. Even more alarming, the victims of this violation are the ones being investigated—this is beyond belief. I’ve asked Attorney General Miyares to investigate this situation immediately so that every student’s privacy, dignity and safety are upheld," the governor said.
Loudoun County is one of several school districts in Northern Virginia currently under another Title IX investigation by the Trump administration over its gender identity policies.
When reached for further comment, LCPS referred back to a statement released shortly after WJLA's story was published, strongly denying the report as "false and misleading information presented in a biased manner from a single source."
"To be absolutely clear: Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) would not investigate or discipline students based on their personal opinions, thoughts, or beliefs, provided those expressions do not violate policies prohibiting hate speech, discriminatory language, threats, or other forms of harmful or disruptive conduct," LCPS said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "However, LCPS does investigate and may take disciplinary action when student behavior violates LCPS’ Student Rights & Responsibilities Handbook for Families and Student Code of Conduct."
"As WJLA is aware, because this matter could result in discipline, LCPS will not discuss the specifics of the incident publicly. Student privacy is a fundamental right protected by both policy and law, and LCPS is firmly committed to upholding that principle without exception. Our decision not to comment on the matter should not be taken as license for any news organization to determine what the facts are without verification," it continued.
LCPS said they could not discuss details of the matter to protect students' privacy, but said it was "deeply disheartening to see" Virginia officials publicly criticizing the school "solely" based off the WJLA report.
"We reject any characterization that implies our schools are unsafe or that we fail to protect the rights of all students. We remain steadfast in our legal and ethical obligation to uphold the rights of every student and will continue to create and nurture an environment that is welcoming and accepting for all students, so that everyone has the opportunity to learn, grow and succeed," the statement continued.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Fox News Digital also reached out to the Virginia attorney general's office and LCPS' Title IX coordinator for further comment.