Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) Says He Has No Knowledge of Loudoun County Schools Rape Coverup Allegations

The Virginia Star Wednesday asked Virginia Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) at Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., about the recent rape coverup allegations in Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS).

Warner claimed he had no knowledge of what has become a bombshell national news story.

“I’ve heard nothing about it,” Warner said.

When asked what should be done if the allegations are true, Warner dodged the question.

“I think it’s really important, especially when you’re talking about a crime – get the facts first,” he said.

When asked if he would comment when the facts came to light, Warner was noncommittal.

“I don’t normally comment on open cases,” he said.

WATCH:

This week, The Daily Wire reported that Scott Smith, the man who was arrested for protesting transgender bathroom policies at a June 22 Loudoun County School Board meeting, has a ninth-grade daughter who was allegedly raped in school bathroom less than one month prior.

Scott was arrested for what was eventually dubbed an “unlawful assembly.”

On May 28, his daughter was allegedly raped by a boy wearing a skirt in the girl’s bathroom at Stone Bridge High School. Unsealed juvenile court records show that the boy has been charged with two counts of forcible sodomy, one count of anal sodomy, and one count of forcible fellatio.

Further, the bombshell revelation includes the fact that Loudoun County Superintendent Scott Ziegler, at the June 22 meeting, told parents that “the predator transgender student or person simply does not exist,” and that as far as he knew, “We don’t have any record of assaults occurring in our restrooms.”

Now, parents are calling on Ziegler to resign for his role in the alleged cover up.

Wednesday, The Virginia Star sent several questions to LCPS seeking further comment on the situation.

Those questions included:

1. Will Superintendent Zeigler resign?
2. Did he knowingly lie when he said “the predator transgender student or person simply doesn’t exist” on June 22, nearly a month after the 9th grade girl was allegedly raped in an LCPS school bathroom?
3. What is the status of the student who allegedly raped the 9th grader? Has he been expelled or suspended?
4. Many people have the impression that LCPS doesn’t think parents deserve to have any input regarding school curricula. Does LCPS think parents deserve to know when violent crimes occur in its schools?

LCPS said it did not know about the allegations of rape until they were reported in the media this week, and also said it is cooperating with law enforcement’s investigation into the matter. But Tuesday, the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that it has been working on the investigation for two months.

The school also appeared to justify Smith’s arrest by saying that he was not scheduled to speak at the June 22 meeting.

Here is the full statement from LCPS:

Loudoun County Public Schools is aware of the media and social media reports concerning alleged sexual assaults at two of our high school campuses.  While LCPS takes student privacy seriously and cannot reveal details concerning the actions of any specific student, we do want to clarify our investigative process. Principals are legally required to report to the local law enforcement agency any act, including sexual assault, that may constitute a felony offense under Va. Code § 22.1-279.3:1.  That process was followed with respect to these allegations. Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office was contacted within minutes of receiving the initial report on May 28. Once a matter has been reported to law enforcement, LCPS does not begin its investigation until law enforcement advises LCPS that it has completed the criminal investigation.  To maintain the integrity of the criminal investigation, law enforcement requested that LCPS  not interview students until their investigation is concluded.  LCPS has cooperated and continues to cooperate with law enforcement. 

Furthermore, LCPS is prohibited from disciplining any student without following the Title IX grievance process, which includes investigating complaints of sexual harassment and sexual assault.  LCPS does impose interim measures to protect the safety of students involved in the original incident, deter retaliation, and preserve the integrity of the investigation and resolution process.  LCPS has complied and continues to comply with its obligations under Title IX.

School Board members are typically not given details of disciplinary matters. The board may be obligated to consider long-term suspensions or expulsions and must ensure that students have not been deprived of due process. Consequently, members of the Loudoun County School Board were not aware of the specific details of this incident until it was reported in media outlets earlier this week. We are unable to locate any records that indicate that Scott  Smith had registered in advance to speak at the June 22, 2021 board meeting.

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Pete D’Abrosca is a contributor at The Virginia Star and The Star News Network. Follow Pete on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].