Family of second Loudoun victim breaks silence on daughter who had ‘more courage’ than officials
The family of the second Loudoun County assault victim claimed their daughter had “more courage and leadership” than school officials who “ignored the red flags” and covered up for the skirt-wearing assailant.
The girl’s family broke their silence for the first time on Monday after a 15-year-old boy sexually assaulted her in a classroom last October at a Virginia school.
School officials tried to cover up for the boy, who had transferred to Broad Run High School after he sexually assaulted another student in a transgender-friendly bathroom while wearing a skirt in May 2021.
His family released the statement Monday after Loudoun County Superintendent Scott Ziegler was indicted by a grand jury after he denied there were any records of the assault.
The family criticized officials for ignoring “multiple red flags” and their duties to properly handle sexual assault cases.
The family of the second Loudoun victim broke their silence Monday after a grand jury indicted the county superintendent. The girl herself was a student at Broad Run High School in Virginia when she was sexually assaulted by a teenager wearing a skirt in October 2021.
His family released the statement Monday after Loudoun County Superintendent Scott Ziegler (pictured) was indicted by a grand jury. He was fired and charged after denying assault allegations
Attorney Patrick M. Regan issued the statement on behalf of the family who have not spoken publicly to protect their “mental health” and the “well-being” of their daughter.
“Several red flags were raised and ignored during the period of May 12, 2021 to October 6, 2021,” the statement read. “What happened to him on October 6, 2021 could and should have been prevented,” the statement read.
According to NBC, the grand jury report, released on December 5, claimed that the shooter’s own grandmother called him a “sociopath.”
School officials also did not approach the girl after the attack as they tried to uphold the institution’s reputation by insisting there were no records of attacks.
“That alone says a lot about what we’ve endured throughout this ordeal.”
Attorney Patrick M. Regan issued the statement on behalf of the second victim’s family.
Superintendent Zieger’s indictment on Monday came after he was fired on Dec. 6 by unanimous decision of the school board.
The nearly three-hour meeting involved school board members reviewing a report on the district’s handling of two sexual acts that occurred in 2021 by a student wearing a skirt.
The first sexual act occurred at Stone Bridge High School in May 2021 before the boy moved schools, and he was later convicted of sexually assaulting another girl at a different school in October.
Ziegler previously denied there were sexual assault records on file, but the grand jury report revealed he lied.
The former superintendent faces misdemeanor charges of using his position to retaliate or threaten to retaliate against an employee, false posting and false firing of the same employee, according to indictments unsealed in Loudoun County.
“I am disappointed that such false and irresponsible accusations have been made by such false and irresponsible allegations by a secretive, one-sided process controlled by the attorney general, who never sought my testimony,” Ziegler wrote in the statement.
‘I will defend myself vigorously. I look forward to the moment when the truth is made public.
Longtime Loudoun County spokesman Wayde Byard also faces a felony perjury charge.
The indictment also refers to the firing of a special needs teacher, who was fired after she complained about being sexually assaulted by a student.
Longtime Loudoun County spokesman Wayde Byard (pictured) also faces a felony perjury charge
Scott Smith, the father of the first victim, said he hopes the prosecution will tear down “the walls between LCPS and Loudoun County moms and dads.”
Smith became known in the media after he angrily protested during a June 2021 board meeting after his daughter was assaulted.
He reacted furiously when Superintendent Ziegler said during the meeting that he had no history of sexual assault in schools.
Despite the accusation, Smith still wants to see more action.
“This is just the beginning, this is not the end,” he said. “Our victory will be short-lived if we don’t get the school board to make big changes like resigning.”
A report from the second assault victim in October last year found that it could have been prevented and that administrators lied in an attempt to cover up the controversy over the transgender restroom policy.
Scott Smith (pictured), the father of the first victim, said he hopes the prosecution will break down “the walls between LCPS and Loudoun County moms and dads.”
Smith (pictured) became known in the media after he angrily protested during a June 2021 board meeting after his daughter was assaulted.
A special report, released Dec. 5, found that the second assault in October 2021 could have been prevented, with school district administrators lying to parents in an attempt to cover up the controversy over the transgender bathroom policy. Dozens of parents protested at the school board meeting on June 22, 2021
The report also found that Loudoun school officials were “looking out for their own interests” rather than the interest of the school.
“This invariably led to a striking lack of openness, transparency, and accountability to both the public and the special grand jury.
“There were multiple decision points for senior LCPS administrators, including the superintendent, to be transparent and step in and alter the sequence of events leading up to the October 6, 2021 BRHS sexual assault.
‘They failed at every juncture. We also believe that the kidnapping and sexual assault of a student at Broad Run High School on October 6 could have been and should have been prevented.
