Virginia parents are being forced to cover a six-figure payment if they want to continue their fight to clear their kids’ names of sexual harassment charges stemming from complaints about a biological female who identifies as male in a boys’ locker room at school. In May, the Loudoun County Public Schools launched a Title IX investigation into male students at Stone Bridge High School for allegedly harassing a female student, who identifies as male, in the boys’ locker room. LCPS slapped two of the students with a ten-day suspension, even though one of them had already left the state by the time the district concluded its investigation. The families of the students insist their children only questioned why a girl was in the boys’ locker room, but the school accused the male students of sexually harassing the young woman. Virginia’s attorney general, Jason Miyares, called the investigation a “misuse of authority” and said the charges lacked “any outside corroboration.”A federal district court judge, Leonie Brinkema, granted a preliminary injunction to stop LCPS from expelling the students. However, the win for the families was complicated by Judge Brinkema, a Clinton appointee, ordering them to post a $125,000 bond by the end of business on October 15.The judge said the bond is to ensure that LCPS can recover its attorneys’ fees if it prevails in pre-trial motions. The families say the required bond is a financial hardship that could make it difficult for them to continue their legal battle. A fundraiser was set up on the Christian crowdfunding platform GiveSendGo, and as of Wednesday afternoon, it had received more than $100,000 in donations to cover the bond.Despite the required bond, the law firm representing the two male students facing disciplinary action, the Founding Freedoms Law Center, celebrated the preliminary injunction to block the suspensions.“The court’s order allows the client still living in the district, a male student, to continue to attend classes. It also prevents the Title IX ‘sexual harassment’ finding from going on both boys’ permanent records as they begin to apply to colleges,” the firm said. The school district is facing allegations of free speech violations and religious discrimination, as the Title IX investigation originally centered on three male students. However, the district eventually dropped the charges against one boy, who is Muslim, but continued its investigation against the other two, who are Christian. LCPS told the Sun that it “acknowledges the court’s decision and will prepare for the next steps in this matter.”“We remain committed to fostering a safe, inclusive, and respectful learning environment for all students. Harassment, discrimination, or bullying of any kind is not tolerated within our schools, and we will continue to uphold policies that protect the rights, dignity, and well-being of every student in our care,” the district said.
