Loudoun email reveals superintendent notified school board on day of alleged sexual assault
Superintendent Scott Ziegler's email contradicts his previous statement
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The superintendent for Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) sent an email alerting the school board of an alleged assault on the same day as the one that has captured national headlines.
"The purpose of this email is to provide you with information regarding an incident that occurred at Stone Bridge HS," Superintendent Scott Ziegler said in the email. "This afternoon a female student alleged that a male student sexually assaulted her in the restroom."
WTOP first reported the May 28 message, which was addressed to "School Board Confidential."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}LCPS confirmed the email to Fox News on Friday, noting that it lacked specific details.
"Board members are regularly informed about major incidents that happen in our schools," read the school district's statement.
"In this case, the superintendent sent an email message to the board on Friday, May 28, 2021. A copy of that email message is attached. In the message, board members were informed in a general fashion that an alleged incident took place and that the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office was conducting an investigation of the incident."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"As LCPS has stated, the School Board was not provided specific details or the names of those involved, and were advised by Dr. Ziegler that they would not receive updates regarding this matter, as it was being investigated by the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office. The School Board had not been provided any specific information regarding this matter from LCPS staff prior to the June 22, 2021 meeting or at any point thereafter until the recent news reports were published."
On June 22, Ziegler said that, to his knowledge, "we don’t have any record of assaults occurring in our restrooms," according to the Daily Wire.
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He later apologized, saying that LCPS failed to provide a safe environment.
"First, let me say to the families and students involved — my heart aches for you and I am sorry that we failed to provide the safe, welcoming, and affirming environment that we aspire to provide," he said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Ziegler did not immediately respond to Fox News' request for comment on the May 28 email. Neither did School Board Chairwoman Brenda Sheridan.
Fox News' Tyler Olson contributed to this report.