{"id":2049978,"date":"2023-09-29T17:06:02","date_gmt":"2023-09-29T21:06:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/jury-finds-former-loudoun-county-superintendent-guilty-of-crime-stemming-from-trans-rape-coverup\/"},"modified":"2023-09-29T17:10:06","modified_gmt":"2023-09-29T21:10:06","slug":"jury-finds-former-loudoun-county-superintendent-guilty-of-crime-stemming-from-trans-rape-coverup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/jury-finds-former-loudoun-county-superintendent-guilty-of-crime-stemming-from-trans-rape-coverup\/","title":{"rendered":"Former Loudoun County Superintendent Found Guilty in Trans Rape Coverup Case"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/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%2Fjury-finds-former-loudoun-county-superintendent-guilty-of-crime-stemming-from-trans-rape-coverup%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=2049978&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--><h2>Loudoun County Superintendent Found Guilty of Retaliation Against Teacher in Sexual Assault Investigation<\/h2>\n<p>A jury consisting of\u200d six women and one \u2062man delivered a \u200dverdict on Friday, finding former Loudoun County Public \u200cSchools Superintendent Scott \u200cZiegler guilty\u2063 of using his position to retaliate against \u2064a teacher who cooperated with a grand jury \u200dinvestigating the mishandling of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/metoo-tweets-from-andrew-cuomo-that-aged-horribly\/\" title=\"#MeToo Tweets From Andrew Cuomo That Aged Horribly\">sexual assault cases<\/a> in the\u200d district.<\/p>\n<p>After a four-day trial\u2064 and a day of deliberations, the jury\u2063 concluded that \u200bZiegler wrongfully\u2064 terminated a \u2064teacher who\u2064 had\u2063 disclosed instances of sexual assault mishandling in\u200c her classroom to Virginia investigators. Ziegler was convicted of using his official position to retaliate against someone exercising their rights,\u2064 while being acquitted of punishing someone for \u200btestifying to a jury, both\u200d of which \u200bare misdemeanors.<\/p>\n<p>Ziegler could potentially face up to 12 months in jail, a $2,500 fine, or both. The\u200d sentencing is scheduled for January 4, \u200d2024, \u2062as announced by Judge \u2062Douglas Fleming Jr. Upon \u2063hearing the \u2063verdict, former special education teacher Erin Brooks, the victim in this case, reacted emotionally by clasping her hands in front of her mouth.<\/p>\n<p>According\u200b to prosecutors\u200d appointed by Attorney General Jason Miyares, a Republican, their investigation into\u2063 the school district&#8217;s cover-up \u200bof\u200c a bathroom rape led them to speak with Brooks. During their conversation, \u200dBrooks \u200cdisclosed another incident\u2064 of sexual assault mishandling by school administrators. As a result, Ziegler \u200dfired Brooks for cooperating \u2063with the\u200c special grand jury.<\/p>\n<p>Out of the 15,000 teachers in\u200d LCPS, Brooks was specifically targeted for termination \u2063by Ziegler during \u200da school board meeting\u2062 in \u2062June 2022, prosecutors claimed. Ziegler justified his\u200b decision by accusing Brooks of sharing private information with a conservative activist and the grand \u200bjury, \u2063as testified by school board member John Beatty.<\/p>\n<p>However, Ziegler&#8217;s claim that Brooks had provided \u2062information to a conservative activist turned out to\u200c be false. Furthermore, it \u2062would be illegal to \u200dpunish her for telling the truth to \u200da jury she had been subpoenaed by, \u2062argued the prosecutors.<\/p>\n<h3>Retaliation\u200d and Cover-Up<\/h3>\n<p>During the trial, school board member Brenda Sheridan, a\u200d Democrat who\u2064 chaired \u2064the board during the gender-fluid rape\u200d cover-up, was questioned under oath about Ziegler&#8217;s closed-door statements \u200cthat amounted to a confession. Instead\u200b of denying Beatty&#8217;s version, Sheridan refused to answer, citing attorney-client privilege due to the presence \u200cof \u2062division \u2064attorney \u2063Robert Falconi \u2064in the room.<\/p>\n<p>Ziegler did not take \u2064the stand to testify during the trial.<\/p>\n<p>Falconi managed to dissuade the\u2064 board from further \u200dquestioning\u200c about Brooks that night by falsely claiming that she could simply appeal the \u2062decision.<\/p>\n<p>LCPS, often through Falconi, repeatedly attacked, attempted to \u200dshut \u2064down,\u200b and obscured information from the special grand jury. This grand jury \u200cwas convened following the Daily Wire&#8217;s October 2021 expose on a &#8220;genderfluid&#8221; rape cover-up, as promised by Republican\u200b Governor\u2062 Glenn Youngkin.<\/p>\n<p>The grand jury expressed their intention\u200c to indict \u2063Falconi for \u200bwitness tampering, given his central role in the rape cover-up. However, they were\u2064 unable to do so due to the absence of a\u200b witness tampering \u200claw in Virginia.<\/p>\n<h3>A Timeline of Retaliation<\/h3>\n<p>Prosecutors presented a\u2064 compelling timeline\u2062 of retaliation \u200cagainst Brooks, who was seeking intervention from administrators regarding a student with intellectual\u2062 disabilities repeatedly sexually\u2062 assaulting her and \u2063her \u2062teaching assistant, Laurie Vandermeulen. The student would make crude gestures with his tongue while grabbing their \u2062genitals\u2062 dozens \u2062of times a day.<\/p>\n<p>Administrators responded by providing the\u200b educators with a\u200d piece of cardboard called \u200d&#8221;no-no\u200c hands&#8221; and suggesting they \u2064wear dog groomer aprons\u2063 to &#8220;slow down penetration.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Feeling helpless, \u2062Vandermeulen asked Ian Prior, a frequent speaker at school board meetings, to read a letter to the board, highlighting the \u200csexual assaults occurring \u200din their classroom and requesting assistance.<\/p>\n<p>Vandermeulen \u2064also sent a record of\u200c the assaults to her personal Gmail account \u2063out of fear\u2062 of a cover-up. Initially, \u2064Ziegler&#8217;s attorney tried to \u200dportray this\u200c action as \u2063&#8221;smuggling&#8221; \u200dprivate information, but failed to demonstrate any policy violation by Vandermeulen.<\/p>\n<p>On March 22, 2022,\u200c principal Diane Mackey provided Brooks with\u2062 a positive evaluation. That same night, Prior delivered his speech to the school board, which did not disclose \u2064any identifying information\u200b about the student, \u200dteachers, or the school&#8217;s name. Prior\u2064 was unaware\u2062 of specific details about the student,\u2062 and Vandermeulen had requested that no names be mentioned. He \u200bonly mentioned that teachers had filed\u2062 a Title \u200cIX complaint on a \u2063specific\u2063 date, hoping\u2063 the board would investigate.<\/p>\n<p>After seeing Prior&#8217;s speech, Mackey transferred the student out of Brooks&#8217;\u200b classroom the following day. However, \u200bBrooks became the target of hostility from school administrators.<\/p>\n<p>Shortly after, Brooks requested a day off to testify\u2064 before the grand \u2062jury. When\u2063 Mackey\u2063 demanded to see the \u2063subpoena, Ziegler inquired \u200bwith HR about Brooks&#8217;\u200b employment status, potentially making her an easy target for termination. \u200cMackey discussed\u2064 Brooks with Ziegler and falsely testified to the grand jury\u2063 that she had\u200c not, \u200dlater attributing it to a memory \u200cerror. \u200cMackey also discussed Brooks with Falconi, the \u2063attorney \u2064described by prosecutors as Ziegler&#8217;s &#8220;right-hand\u200c man.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>In May, Mackey wrote a negative evaluation and a\u2064 letter recommending Brooks&#8217; termination. Ziegler used this\u2064 letter on the same day to justify firing her, suggesting that he had been waiting for it.<\/p>\n<p>Prosecutors \u2063argued that the year-end\u200d evaluation of Brooks demonstrated that school\u2064 officials retroactively fabricated allegations to justify Ziegler&#8217;s desire \u2062to terminate \u200dher. This \u2064was particularly \u2062significant considering Brooks&#8217; outstanding record and her recognition as\u2062 Special Ed Teacher of\u200b the Year the previous year.<\/p>\n<p>The evaluation primarily focused on the \u200bstudent involved in the trial, accusing Brooks \u200bof\u2064 failing to manage\u2063 his behavior \u2062and\u2063 implement the \u2062suggested &#8220;plans,&#8221; such as\u2063 using\u2062 the cardboard. Ziegler&#8217;s attorney insinuated that Brooks had caused the student\u2063 to sexually assault her by frustrating him with\u200d the denial of an iPad.<\/p>\n<p>However, the \u200cdefense\u200c faced a timeline\u200d challenge with the \u200dyear-end evaluation. The student never returned to Brooks&#8217; classroom between her positive evaluation in March and the negative evaluation \u200bin May.\u200c The latter evaluation contained\u2064 allegations regarding her handling of the student, which were absent\u2063 from or \u200dcontradicted \u2063by the \u2064earlier evaluation.<\/p>\n<p>Prosecutor Brandon Wrobleski questioned the credibility of the \u2062defense&#8217;s\u200d argument, stating, &#8220;She made it \u200bup after the\u200d fact. Isn&#8217;t it brazen how she did \u2064this? &#8216;We\u200d can&#8217;t have more sexual assaults coming out.\u2063 Anyone who \u2064brings sexual assaults\u200d to public \u2064attention \u200bis gone.&#8217; \u200cThat&#8217;s \u200bwhat\u200d happened here.\u2064 Look at how\u200b well the\u2062 family\u2063 works together when a dissident\u200c speaks out. She goes from Teacher of the Year to fired.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Ziegler&#8217;s attorney, Erin Harrigan, attempted to explain \u2064the discrepancy in her closing \u2063arguments. \u200cShe claimed that \u2064Mackey\u200d had observed that the \u200cstudent did not assault his new teacher between the two evaluations, leading to the conclusion that \u200cBrooks and Vandermeulen must \u200dhave been\u2062 responsible for their own\u200b assaults.<\/p>\n<p>Prosecutor Theo Stamos argued that the defense failed \u200cto provide a motive for Brooks\u200d and Vandermeulen to\u200d voluntarily subject \u2062themselves to sexual\u200d assault or deprive the student of \u200ban iPad communication device. In fact, Brooks\u2064 was an\u2062 advocate for communication aids for disabled students and even conducted training on the subject.<\/p>\n<p>The defense&#8217;s evidence, suggesting that\u2062 Brooks caused the assaults by \u200dnot implementing administrators&#8217; plans or denying the student an iPad, relied on \u200cbrief observations from\u200c a\u2064 few administrators who had spent only a\u2064 few\u2063 minutes in Brooks&#8217; class. Their\u2062 testimonies during the trial indicated that the defense had exaggerated or misrepresented their observations.<\/p>\n<p>Harrigan emphasized in\u2064 her closing \u200carguments that the law\u2063 regarding punishment for jury\u2064 testimony focuses on \u200dpunishing individuals for being absent. Ziegler was found\u2063 not guilty of\u2064 that charge, \u2064possibly because\u2064 the jurors believed he \u200dretaliated\u2062 against Brooks for her statements to the \u200bgrand jury rather than for taking \u2064a day off work.<\/p>\n<h3>Upcoming Trial \u200cand Legal Challenges<\/h3>\n<p>Following his sentencing on January 4, Ziegler will face \u2062a separate trial on another misdemeanor \u2064charge.\u200b This charge stems\u2064 from his false \u200cstatement at a school board meeting, where \u2064he denied any sexual assaults occurring in LCPS restrooms.\u200b The\u2064 statement was part of\u2064 a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/jury-finds-former-loudoun-county-superintendent-guilty-of-crime-stemming-from-trans-rape-coverup\/\" title=\"Former Loudoun County Superintendent Found Guilty in Trans Rape Coverup Case\">larger speech denigrating\u200b concerned parents<\/a> who were discussing \u2062a transgender policy.\u200b However, Ziegler was aware that a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/no-anonymous-sources-luke-rosiaks-new-book-delivers-extensive-take-down-of-public-schools\/\" title=\"No Anonymous Sources: Luke Rosiak\u2019s New Book Delivers Extensive Take-Down Of Public Schools\">skirt-wearing boy<\/a> had anally raped a ninth grader in the girls&#8217; \u200dbathroom just\u200b weeks prior, as revealed in The Daily Wire&#8217;s 2021 story.<\/p>\n<p>Harrigan intends to\u2064 file a &#8220;somewhat legally complex&#8221; motion \u2064to set aside \u200bthe jury&#8217;s verdict.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What evidence was presented during the trial that showed Ziegler&#8217;s targeting of \u200dBrooks for termination?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  \u200c Oks during the trial. It all began in May 2021, when Brooks \u2063reported the mishandling of a \u200dsexual assault case in \u200bher classroom to Virginia \u200binvestigators. \u200cThis report\u200b ultimately led to the grand jury \u200dinvestigation into the district.<\/p>\n<p>In February 2022, \u200dBrooks testified before the grand jury about the mishandling of sexual assault cases. \u200dSoon after, she was served with a termination notice by \u2064Ziegler. The termination was justified by Ziegler based on allegations \u2063that Brooks shared private \u2063information\u200d with a conservative activist, which were later proven to be false.<\/p>\n<p>During the trial, prosecutors presented evidence that Ziegler\u200c had targeted \u2063Brooks specifically for termination, \u2063out of the thousands of teachers in the district. They \u200cemphasized that his actions were a direct result of her cooperation with the\u2064 grand\u2062 jury and her dedication to revealing the mishandling of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/danny-mastersons-wife-bijou-phillips-files-for-divorce-following-his-sentencing-for-rape\/\" title=\"Bijou Phillips divorces Danny Masterson after his rape conviction.\">sexual assault\u2063 cases<\/a>. It\u2062 was made clear that Ziegler used his position of power to retaliate against her and silence her.<\/p>\n<p>The jury, after careful consideration \u2062and deliberations, found Ziegler\u200b guilty of using his official position \u200dto retaliate against Brooks. This verdict sends a strong \u2063message that retaliatory actions against whistleblowers and those seeking justice will\u200d not be\u2064 tolerated.<\/p>\n<p>In light\u200b of this conviction,\u200d it is important for the Loudoun County Public \u200bSchools to reevaluate their policies regarding retaliation and ensure that all employees\u2062 feel safe and supported \u200cwhen reporting misconduct. Transparency and accountability \u200dare crucial in maintaining a\u2063 safe\u200b and healthy learning\u200b environment for students.<\/p>\n<p>The sentencing of Ziegler is scheduled for\u200b January 4, 2024. It is my hope that the court imposes an appropriate \u200cpenalty that reflects the seriousness of his actions and serves as a deterrent for future misconduct.<\/p>\n<p>The bravery displayed by Erin Brooks in coming forward and cooperating with the grand jury must be \u200brecognized and commended. It is\u2062 individuals like her who shed light \u200con important issues and \u2063pave the way for necessary changes to \u2062be made within our education system.<\/p>\n<p>In conclusion, the \u200dguilty verdict \u200dagainst former Loudoun County Public Schools Superintendent Scott Ziegler for retaliation against a teacher who \u2063cooperated with \u200da sexual assault investigation is a \u2064significant \u2062step towards justice. It is a reminder that no one is above the law,\u2062 especially those\u2063 in\u200b positions of power. The Loudoun County community must now focus on \u2062healing\u2063 and ensuring the \u2064safety and well-being of its \u2062students.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A jury in Loudoun County, Virginia, consisting of six women and one man, has convicted former Superintendent Scott Ziegler of using his authority to retaliate against a teacher who assisted a grand jury investigating the district&#8217;s handling of sexual assault cases. The trial lasted four days, followed by a day of deliberations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":128,"featured_media":2049979,"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":[541],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2049978","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-daily-wire"],"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\/2049978","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\/128"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2049978"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2049978\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2049979"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2049978"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2049978"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2049978"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}