LCPS independent review on school sexual assaults to be released 'under seal'

LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. (7News) — A Loudoun County Circuit Court judge has ordered the release of the Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) independent review on school sexual assaults. 7News reporter Nick Minock learned of the order during a court hearing on Tuesday.

“It says pursuant to the rules of court, it’s submitted under seal to the parties. So it will not be made public,” a spokesperson for the office of the attorney general told 7News.

The judge said it appears the LCPS School Board violated a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) during its meetings. School Board Member John Beatty told 7News the school board received bad legal advice.

Former Loudoun County School Board member Tom Marshall said, “Who were they really protecting with not releasing it? I didn’t think it was the students.”

Loudoun County School Board member Tiffany Polifko, meanwhile, said she feels the judge made the right decision and that the public needs to know the truth.

LCPS board member Denise Corbo said in a statement to 7News:

“Today’s decision is another step in the direction of transparency regarding the handling of factors surrounding the alleged sexual assaults which occurred in 2021 on two LCPS campuses. I firmly believe the only way to rebuild the trust between the community and LCPS is through transparency and communication, and that is why I have consistently advocated for the release of the Blankingship & Keith report. Releasing the report to the Attorney General's office is the next step towards resolving this situation and holding the right parties responsible for what transpired. It is my hope that the end goal of these proceedings will be continued changes in policy, transparency, and communication in order to prevent situations like this from occurring in the future in our schools."

Last month, former LCPS superintendent Scott Ziegler appeared in court where the Office of Attorney General Jason Miyares (OAG) asked a judge to release an internal review to the OAG on how the school system handled two sex assaults in 2021.

Theschool system argued that the report should not be released due to attorney-client privilege.

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For more than a year, LCPS refused to release its internal review to the public and the press.

Loudoun County school board members, including Brenda Sheridan, Ian Serotkin, Jeff Morse, Atoosa Reaser, Erika Ogedegbe and Harris Mahedavi, voted against releasing the review this year. While Tiffany Polifko, John Beatty and Denise Corbo voted to release it.

SEE ALSO |'What are they hiding': Family of school sex assault victim slams Loudoun school board

The OAG filed a subpoena in Loudoun County Circuit Court earlier this year to review LCPS’s sex assault report as Miyares' grand jury investigation into the school system continues and they litigate indictments against former Superintendent Scott Ziegler and former school spokesperson Wayde Byard. Gov. Glenn Youngkin directed Miyares to launch an investigation into the schools in 2022.

Even though Ogedegbe, Morse, and Reaser expressed support that the report be made public, all three voted against releasing the report to the public this year.

The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that a sexual assault occurred in a bathroom at Stone Bridge High School on May 28, 2021.

READ MORE |Father of LCPS sex assault victim says grand jury report confirms lack of transparency

Then on Oct. 6, a sheriff’s office tweet detailed another alleged assault by the same student at Broad Run High School. According to the report, "The sexual assault at Broad Run High School could have been prevented" and LCPS is to blame for the incident and the transfer of the student from Stone Bridge High School and Broad Run High School.

A 15-year-old boy was convicted of two sex assaults and was sentenced to complete a "residential program in a locked-down facility."