Scandal-plagued school district referred to DOJ after another transgender locker room controversy
A Virginia school district at the center of a transgender bathroom controversy two years ago has been referred to the feds after the state’s attorney general completed a separate probe this week.
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, a Republican, announced the closing of his investigation into Title IX violations, unlawful retaliation and viewpoint discrimination by Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) after three boys were allegedly investigated for complaints made in regard to a female student – who identifies as male – in the men’s locker room.
Miyares referred LCPS to the Justice Department and the Department of Education.
"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 Tuesday statement.
"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."
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In response to the referral, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon told Fox News Digital that "sex-based discrimination and student safety are both top priorities of this Department of Justice. We will investigate these facts thoroughly, and go where the investigation leads us."
"‘Transgender’ policies in Loudoun County schools are stripping countless students of their fundamental rights," Dhillon added.
Miyares’ probe found that LCPS allegedly began a Title IX probe into the three male students at Stone Bridge High School, who had also expressed religious objections to a policy allowing students to use sexually binary facilities based on their gender identity.
The boys also reportedly voiced concerns about the biological female student who had purportedly been recording them in the locker room, according to the Washington, D.C., ABC affiliate.
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The father of one of the boys told the outlet in May that his son was being formally investigated for sexual harassment after he expressed his own concerns about the situation.
"Furthermore, there are persistent reports that LCPS and the school board take adverse and potentially unlawful action against parents, teachers, and public speakers," Miyares’ office wrote in its announcement.
In response to an inquiry from Fox News Digital, a representative for LCPS said "first and foremost [the district] continues to focus on following applicable law and ensuring all students are safe."
"LCPS is not in a position to provide comment on the attorney general's investigation or its purported findings at this time."
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The district said it never received official communication from Miyares beyond what was announced in the press pertaining to the investigation being launched and was unable to "meaningfully participate" in it.
"To date, no findings have been shared with LCPS," the representative said.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of Education, which said it doesn't confirm complaints.
LCPS previously made national headlines after a father of a student accused the school board of covering up his daughter’s sexual assault at the hands of a biological male who wore a skirt.