{"id":2027281,"date":"2023-09-10T14:00:02","date_gmt":"2023-09-10T18:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/virginia-gov-youngkin-grants-absolute-pardon-to-loudoun-county-father-arrested-at-school-board-meeting\/"},"modified":"2023-09-10T14:02:01","modified_gmt":"2023-09-10T18:02:01","slug":"virginia-gov-youngkin-grants-absolute-pardon-to-loudoun-county-father-arrested-at-school-board-meeting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/virginia-gov-youngkin-grants-absolute-pardon-to-loudoun-county-father-arrested-at-school-board-meeting\/","title":{"rendered":"Virginia Gov. Youngkin pardons Loudoun County father arrested at school board meeting."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fvirginia-gov-youngkin-grants-absolute-pardon-to-loudoun-county-father-arrested-at-school-board-meeting%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2027281&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div data-post-content=\"true\" class=\"post_content\" id=\"post_content\">\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<h2>Virginia \u2063Gov. Glenn Youngkin \u2063Grants\u200c Absolute Pardon \u200dto Father Arrested at School\u2063 Board Meeting<\/h2>\n<p>Virginia Gov. Glenn\u2063 Youngkin \u2063has granted an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.commonwealth.virginia.gov\/judicial-system\/pardons\/#:~:text=An%20absolute%20pardon%20may%20be,a%20remedy%20of%20last%20resort.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">absolute pardon<\/a> to a Loudoun County father arrested at a \u2063<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/maryland-school-district-announces-policy-to-push-anti-racist-thinking-in-preschool-redefine-discrimination-and-racism\/\" title=\"Maryland School District Announces Policy to Push \u2018Anti-Racist Thinking\u2019 In Preschool, Redefine \u2018Discrimination\u2019 and \u2018Racism\u2019\">school board meeting<\/a> in June 2021. The pardon\u2064 came weeks before the father\u2019s jury trial for disorderly misconduct.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>\u201cUpon careful deliberation and\u2062 review of\u200b the circumstances of the matter, I have\u2063 decided it is just and appropriate to grant this <strong>ABSOLUTE PARDON<\/strong> that reflects Scott Thomas Smith\u2019s factual innocence of Disorderly Conduct,\u201d the Republican governor wrote in his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.governor.virginia.gov\/media\/governorvirginiagov\/governor-of-virginia\/pdf\/Scott-Thomas-Smith---Pardon.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Friday decision<\/a>, which was \u2063released today.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Mr.\u2062 Youngkin added in his statement, \u201cI am\u200c pleased to grant Scott Smith \u200cthis pardon and help him and his family put this injustice behind them \u200donce and for all.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode\">\n<div class=\"border-comp-divider mb-4 mr-4 w-full max-w-[500px] border px-5 py-4 text-[16px] leading-[20px] text-[#262626] md:float-left\" id=\"in_article_related_stories\">\n<div class=\"mb-3 font-sans text-[16px] font-semibold uppercase leading-[19px] text-[#2F2F2F]\">Related Stories<\/div>\n<ul class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<li class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-2\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/gov-youngkins-transgender-policy-has-no-teeth-says-loudoun-county-school-board-member-5482738\">Gov. Youngkin\u2019s Transgender Policy Has No &#8216;Teeth,&#8217; Says Loudoun \u200bCounty School Board Member<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">8\/30\/2023<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"shrink-0 basis-[120px]\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/gov-youngkins-transgender-policy-has-no-teeth-says-loudoun-county-school-board-member-5482738\"><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<li class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-2\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/gov-glenn-youngkin-calls-special-session-to-finalize-virginia-budget-5484244\">Gov.\u2063 Glenn Youngkin Calls Special Session to Finalize Virginia Budget<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">8\/31\/2023<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"shrink-0 basis-[120px]\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/gov-glenn-youngkin-calls-special-session-to-finalize-virginia-budget-5484244\"><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<h3>Justice for Scott Smith \u2063and His Family<\/h3>\n<p>Ever since\u2062 his arrest \u200btwo years ago, Scott Smith and his family have been in a legal battle for Mr. Smith and for bringing justice to the teenage \u2062boy\u2014who identifies as &#8220;gender-fluid&#8221;\u2014who raped his daughter in a girl\u2019s bathroom in their high school in May 2021. Mr. Smith previously\u2063 described to The Epoch Times \u200bthe burden\u2064 of the drawn-out legal\u200b process as \u201ca full-time job\u201d and the burden\u2063 as \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/teen-convicted-in-loudoun-school-sex-assaults-sentenced-must-register-as-sex-offender-4153136\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">immeasurable<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>His obstruction-of-justice charge was dismissed in May 2022 by \u200dthe Loudoun County Circuit Court; a jury\u2063 trial was set on Sept.\u200b 25 for his disorderly conduct case before Mr. Youngkin\u2019s \u2063pardon.<\/p>\n<p>The rape happened at a time when the Loudoun County School Board \u2064sought to pass a new policy that \u200dwould allow students to use\u2063 bathrooms and locker rooms according to their chosen gender identity. Parents pushed back strongly against the policy, citing the risk of sexual\u2064 assault. At\u200d the school board meeting on June 22, 2021, school district superintendent Scott Ziegler brushed off their concerns.<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode post-related-videos\">\n<div class=\"lazyload-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"lazyload-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\u201cTo my knowledge, we don\u2019t have any record of assaults occurring in\u200d our restrooms,\u201d Mr. \u2064Ziegler said, \u2064adding\u2063 later that \u2064\u201cthe predator transgender student or person simply does not exist.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Later at the meeting, Mr. Smith was arrested for disorderly conduct and obstructing or resisting a police\u200d officer without force after getting into a verbal confrontation with a woman who accused \u2064him of lying about his \u200bdaughter\u2019s\u200d rape.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<h3>Revelations \u2064and Continued Legal Saga<\/h3>\n<p>Months later, a public inquiry\u200c revealed emails that Mr. Zeiger was aware \u2064of the rape days after the incident, which \u2064was a \u200cmonth before the June 2021 school board\u2062 meeting. A year and a half later, Mr. Ziegler was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/loudoun-county-school-board-fires-superintendent-over-what-grand-jury-says-is-stunning-lack-of-openness-4909796\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">fired<\/a> by the school board after a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/virginia-gov-youngkin-grants-absolute-pardon-to-loudoun-county-father-arrested-at-school-board-meeting\/\" title=\"Virginia Gov. Youngkin pardons Loudoun County father arrested at school board meeting.\">special grand jury report \u200cstated<\/a> that the\u200d school system \u201cbears\u200d the brunt of \u2064the blame\u201d for\u200d mishandling \u200dthe sexual assault. Despite this, the\u200b legal saga Mr. \u2063Smith\u2019s\u200d family \u200cwas dragged into continued unabated.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;I \u200bwant to thank Governor Youngkin for his declaration\u200d that I am innocent, and for his absolute and unconditional pardon,&#8221; \u2063Mr. Smith said in\u200c a \u200bstatement to The Epoch \u2062Times. &#8220;While I was extremely confident in my lawyers&#8217; abilities to \u200bdefend me \u200bin court, I am grateful that the Governor recognizes that our justice\u2064 system has \u200dbeen both weaponized and\u200b politicized to the point where my \u200bability to receive a \u2064fair trial was in jeopardy.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<h3>Finding\u2063 Peace and Seeking Accountability<\/h3>\n<p>In his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/a-journey-from-pain-to-peace-father-of-rape-victim-tells-his-story-4787602\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">previous<\/a> interview with The Epoch Times, Mr. Smith detailed the injustice he was subjected \u200cto and how he found inner peace through reconnecting with\u200b God amid \u2063his arduous\u200c journey.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Mr. Youngkin\u2019s pardon also highlighted that Mr. Smith \u201chas been publicly and \u200dfalsely accused of \u2018domestic terrorism\u2019 and \u2018hate crimes\u2019 for attempting to\u2064 advocate for \u2063his daughter, a victim of violent sexual assault.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Let \u200cme be clear,&#8221; Mr. Smith said in his statement today.\u2063 &#8220;I\u200c am not a &#8216;domestic terrorist,&#8217; I am just\u200d a father who \u2064will go to the ends of the earth to protect his daughter.\u201d\u2063 He vowed to pursue legal \u2064action in the \u200bfederal courts to hold\u200d the \u200bLoudoun\u2062 County Public School system accountable for its mishandling of the sexual assault and Loudoun County elected \u2063officials who pursued &#8220;malicious prosecution&#8221; of him.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Smith&#8217;s attorneys told The Epoch\u2063 Times \u2063in a statement\u200d that they didn&#8217;t seek \u200ca pardon from the governor but were &#8220;grateful&#8221; that\u2062 &#8220;the Governor\u2063 also recognized the wrong done to Scott Smith by the judicial system, and that\u2064 he has now taken this bold action to \u200bright that wrong \u2063by this pardon.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div style=\"margin-left:0;margin-right:0;max-width:1200px\">\n<figure style=\"width:640px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\" class=\"alignnone\"><figcaption>Hundreds rally to protest against Loudoun County Public Schools adopting the Virginia Department of Education&#8217;s 2021 transgender student \u200bmodel policies outside the Loudoun County Public\u200b Schools administration building in Ashburn, Va., on Sept. 28, 2021. (Terri Wu\/The Epoch Times)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<h3>Support from\u200b Loudoun\u200d County \u200dParents<\/h3>\n<p>The pardon was welcomed by \u2064Loudoun County parents, who shared their loss of confidence in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrats-who-resisted-reopening-schools-took-thousands-from-teacher-unions\/\" title=\"Democrats Who Resisted Reopening Schools Took Thousands From Teacher Unions\">county school system<\/a> and the circuit court\u2064 they frequently conveyed at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/loudoun-county-parents-rally-against-american-marxism-4729943\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">rallies<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/loudoun-county-school-board-appoints-interim-superintendent-at-emergency-meeting-4913605\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">public comments<\/a> during \u200cschool board meetings.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\u201cGovernor Youngkin exercised his pardon power, \u200cnot on a \u2062former politician or well-connected corporate\u2064 titan,\u2064 but on a father\u200c who was\u2062 being wrongfully prosecuted for standing \u2064up for his family,&#8221; Ian Prior, executive director\u2064 of Fight for \u200dSchools, a \u2063parents\u2019 \u200badvocacy group based <\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin has pardoned a Loudoun County father who was arrested at a school board meeting in June 2021. The pardon was given prior to the father&#8217;s disorderly misconduct trial, after careful consideration of the case.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":238,"featured_media":2027282,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2027281","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2027281","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/238"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2027281"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2027281\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2027282"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2027281"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2027281"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2027281"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}