Two Virginia high school students are headed to federal court after Loudoun County Public Schools denied their appeal against a Title IX sexual harassment ruling.
The boys, sophomores at Stone Bridge High School, located roughly 35 miles northwest of Washington, D.C., were disciplined in March after expressing discomfort about a transgender classmate, a biological female, using the boys’ locker room.
The incident, captured on video, occurred when a female student, who identifies as male, was allowed to change in the boys’ locker room. After gym class one day, the student used her phone to record several boys who wondered why a girl was in their locker room.
In response to the video, the boys received a 10-day suspension and a permanent mark on their academic records.
After Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) recently issued a final denial of appeal, the Founding Freedoms Law Center (FFLC) announced they were preparing a lawsuit, in partnership with America First Legal, to defend the boys and their families.
The lawsuit will demand the removal of the Title IX charges from the boys’ records, an immediate halt to the ongoing suspension of the student still enrolled in the district, and compensation for “severe emotional, reputational, and educational harm” inflicted on the families, according to attorneys.
FFLC President Victoria Cobb called the district’s decision “a gross abuse of authority.”
“By falsely labeling these boys as sexual harassers, Loudoun County is weaponizing Title IX to punish free speech and religious conviction,” Cobb said. “No child should face suspension or a permanent scar on their record simply for standing up for their privacy.”
One of the boys has since left the district but still carries the Title IX violation on his record, while the other remains a student and faces suspension.
It’s unclear why LCPS issued the final denial of appeal. CP reached out to the school district for comment on Monday.
Parents of the boys expressed their concerns over using Title IX to punish the beliefs of students.
“This isn’t just about our sons, it’s about every child in Loudoun County, also,” said Seth Wolfe, father of the boy still attending school in the district. “If the district can weaponize Title IX in this way, no family is safe.”
Renae Smith, whose family moved out of the district after their son was targeted, added, “Our boys have endured enormous emotional pain and mental anguish. Our boys should be focused on learning, not battling false accusations from the very system meant to protect them.”
“These punishments could devastate their academic and career futures, placing an undeserved stain on their reputations for years to come,” said Josh Hetzler, FFLC’s Senior Legal Counsel. “We will not stop fighting until these boys are vindicated.”
Ian Prior, senior counselor at America First Legal, accused the school district of “illegal weaponization of federal law.”
“We look forward to pursuing full justice for these boys putting an end to LCPS’s systemic and intentional deprivation of the constitutional rights of its students,” Prior said.
