ASHBURN, Va. (7News) — For years, Virginia school districts have been able to hide behind Virginia’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) law which allows school districts, and other entities, to charge you exorbitant fees before releasing public information you might be seeking.

The financial hurdles can be so large -- many people can’t jump over. As a result, the sky-high fees prevent many FOIAs from ever being fulfilled.

“I know they are being secretive,” said Michelle Mege, a Loudoun County parent.

Mege and other parents are concerned the Loudoun County school district isn’t being honest to parents and students about school safety, especially after Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) refused to release the results of an investigation into two sexual assaults that happened in two different schools.

“I’m afraid they aren’t being honest,” Mege told 7News. “And I know they aren’t being transparent.”

7News asks questions about law firm hired for independent review of Loudoun sex assaults

Mege filed a FOIA request to get answers and LCPS told her if she wanted the information, she’d have to pay the school district $38,000.

“For a FOIA request asking for essentially all emails and communication related to a keyword search: sexual abuse,” Mege explained. “I’ve had a couple of FOIA requests that wanted to charge me thousands of dollars. I believe the highest was $54,000 for a request.”

7News on Your Side filed a FOIA request seeking all communication that was sent and received on LCPS school board members’ government-issued email addresses and phone numbers that contain information regarding sexual assaults and other sex-related offenses in and on school property between January 2018 and November 2021. 7News requested Superintendent Scott Ziegler’s emails and texts too.

LCPS Public Information Officer Wayde Byard rejected 7News’ FOIA. Byard said the request does not meet the standard of reasonable specificity as outlined by the code of Virginia. 7News’ legal team is disputing Byard’s response. 7News will continue to seek answers.

But, that’s not all.

Since November, 7News on Your Side filed several other FOIA requests to get answers on other matters that have concerned Loudoun County parents and students. LCPS said 7News would have to pay more than $17,000 for three of the FOIA requests to be fulfilled.

This isn’t the first time a Virginia school district charged the public and the press sky-high fees for public information.

One year ago, 7News Investigative Reporter Scott Taylor spoke to a Prince William County mother who said the school district wanted more than $8,000 to get a copy of emails and video showing her 9-year-old daughter with autism being pushed and dragged off a bus.

Working for change after video showed girl with autism being dragged off Va. school bus

That story got the attention of Virginia Delegate Danica Roem who introduced a bill that would reform Virginia’s FOIA law and cap how much money school districts and other entities in Virginia can charge the public for requesting information. The bill has not passed the Virginia legislature yet.

Fairfax County Public Schools has also charged expensive fees for FOIA requests, including nearly $4,000 for three 7News' FOIA requests.

7News also submitted a FOIA request seeking certain emails of Algonkian District Supervisor Juli E. Briskman. Briskman's office quoted 7News at $1,350 to fulfill that FOIA request.