{"id":2519258,"date":"2025-12-09T14:09:01","date_gmt":"2025-12-09T19:09:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/doj-sues-lcps-school-board-over-transgender-bathroom-policy\/"},"modified":"2025-12-09T14:09:49","modified_gmt":"2025-12-09T19:09:49","slug":"doj-sues-lcps-school-board-over-transgender-bathroom-policy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/doj-sues-lcps-school-board-over-transgender-bathroom-policy\/","title":{"rendered":"DOJ sues LCPS school board over transgender bathroom policy"},"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\">18<\/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%2Fdoj-sues-lcps-school-board-over-transgender-bathroom-policy%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=2519258&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--><p>The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a federal lawsuit against the Loudoun County School Board in Virginia over its transgender bathroom policy, known as Policy 8040. This policy allows students to use restrooms and locker rooms aligned with their &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/oregon-high-school-transgender-runner-blows-past-biologically-female-competition\/\" title=\"Trans... high school runner excels in competition against female athletes in Oregon\">consistently asserted gender identity<\/a>,&#8221; irrespective of biological sex. The lawsuit alleges that the school board discriminated against two Christian high school students who voiced religious objections to the policy. These students faced suspension following Title IX proceedings after expressing discomfort with a transgender student accessing the boys&#8217; locker room.<\/p>\n<p>The DOJ argues that the policy forces students to act against their sincere religious beliefs, violating their constitutional rights, including free speech and equal protection under the 14th Amendment. The case highlights a specific incident where male students were filmed without consent by a transgender student, yet the school disciplined the students who raised concerns rather than the transgender student involved.<\/p>\n<p>Virginia&#8217;s Attorney General and the Department of Education have investigated and found the boys were wrongly punished.The lawsuit seeks to protect the religious freedoms of the students and challenges the school&#8217;s approach to transgender inclusion. Loudoun County Public Schools is currently barred from disciplining the students as the case proceeds, and the district is among others facing possible <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >federal funding cuts<\/a> over similar policies.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">DOJ sues Loudoun County school board over transgender bathroom policy<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2206925\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>The <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/department-of-justice\/\">Department of Justice<\/a> has sued the Loudoun County School Board in connection with a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/Title-IX\">Title IX<\/a> locker room case, alleging that two Christian high school students were discriminated against for raising religious objections to the school&rsquo;s <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/transgender\">transgender<\/a> bathroom practices.<\/p>\n<p>On Monday, the DOJ announced that it filed a federal lawsuit against the Northern <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/virginia\/\">Virginia<\/a> school district&rsquo;s policymaking body over <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/go.boarddocs.com\/vsba\/loudoun\/Board.nsf\/files\/D7VLH356939A\/%24file\/8040.pdf\">Policy 8040<\/a>, which allows students to access school restrooms and locker rooms corresponding with their &ldquo;consistently asserted gender identity,&rdquo; regardless of biological sex. <\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/3912061\/aclu-sues-doj-immediate-release-legal-opinion-venezuelan-drug-boat-strikes\/\">ACLU sues DOJ for &lsquo;immediate&rsquo; release of legal opinion on alleged drug boat strikes<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/3911833\/ukraine-zelensky-trying-keep-us-peace-plan-alive\/\">Zelensky trying to keep US peace plan alive as Trump lambastes Ukraine and Europe<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3911707\/trump-watched-venezuela-boat-strike-video-floats-further-action\/\">Trump says he has watched Venezuela boat strike video, floats further action<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>The DOJ says Policy 8040 requires all students, without regard for their religious beliefs, to adopt the school board&rsquo;s views on gender and accordingly affirm the gender identity of their transgender peers.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;From using preferred pronouns to sharing intimate spaces with students of the opposite sex, the School Board&rsquo;s policy unconstitutionally directs Plaintiffs to go against their sincere religious beliefs and practice,&rdquo; the suit says.<\/p>\n<p>In particular, the lawsuit alleges that <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/loudoun\/\">Loudoun<\/a> County Public Schools wielded its transgender inclusion rules against a pair of <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/christians\/\">Christian<\/a> students, who were <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/investigations\/3758553\/loudoun-county-schools-boys-title-ix-transgender-locker-room-case\/\">threatened with suspensions<\/a> following &ldquo;retaliatory&rdquo; Title IX proceedings, in violation of the 14th Amendment&rsquo;s Equal Protection Clause.<\/p>\n<p>At Stone Bridge High School, a student who identifies as transgender was able to access the boys&rsquo; locker room pursuant to Policy 8040, and in one incident from March, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/go.boarddocs.com\/vsba\/loudoun\/Board.nsf\/files\/D7VMTS571DC2\/%24file\/8655.pdf\">illicitly<\/a> filmed male classmates, some of whom were changing clothes, as they discussed among themselves their discomfort with the transgender student&rsquo;s presence.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/opinion\/3402590\/loudoun-county-public-schools-investigation-transgender-students\/\"><strong>OPINION: LOUDOUN COUNTY PUNISHES STUDENTS FOR BEING SEXUALLY HARASSED<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The school district, however, then brought Title IX sexual harassment charges against the sophomore boys. One of the boys, who is Muslim, was <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/wjla.com\/news\/local\/loudoun-county-public-schools-locker-room-investigation-stone-bridge-high-school-title-ix-lcps-virginia-sex-based-discrimination-lgbtqia-bathroom-transgender-non-binary-8040-policy\">cleared<\/a> of wrongdoing, while the other two students, who are Christian, were suspended.<\/p>\n<p>Monday&rsquo;s court filings say that the school board&rsquo;s disciplinary actions &ldquo;intentionally discriminated on the basis of religion.&rdquo; In the suit, the DOJ accuses LCPS of &ldquo;recasting&rdquo; constitutionally protected activity as discriminatory conduct. According to the DOJ, the two Christian boys who spoke out are obligated by their religious beliefs to respect the biological differences between sexes and accordingly use sex-segregated facilities.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Loudoun County&rsquo;s decision to advance and promote gender ideology tramples on the rights of religious students who cannot embrace ideas that deny biological reality,&rdquo; Assistant U.S. Attorney General <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/harmeet-dhillon\/\">Harmeet Dhillon<\/a>, chief of the Justice Department&rsquo;s civil rights division, said in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/opa\/pr\/justice-department-sues-loudoun-county-violating-equal-protection-christian-students\">a press release<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Invoking a landmark <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uscourts.gov\/about-federal-courts\/educational-resources\/educational-activities\/first-amendment-activities\/tinker-v-des-moines\/facts-and-case-summary-tinker-v-des-moines\">1969 Supreme Court case<\/a> concerning <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/cautious-court-signals-support-for-cussin-cheerleader-in-school-speech-case\/\" title=\"Cautious Court Signals Support for Cussin\u2019 Cheerleader in School Speech ...\">student free speech rights<\/a>, Dhillon added, &ldquo;Students do not shed their <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/first-amendment\/\">First Amendment<\/a> rights at the schoolhouse gate.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The DOJ has moved to intervene on behalf of the boys, who had <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/aflegal.org\/litigation\/s-w-v-loudoun-county-school-board\/\">filed an equal protection claim<\/a> under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in <em><em>S.W. et al. v. Loudoun County School Board<\/em><\/em>. That case is currently pending before the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. For now, LCPS is barred from disciplining the boys while the case moves forward.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Over the summer, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, whose office launched <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/investigations\/3402193\/loudoun-county-schools-title-ix-investigation-boys-filmed-transgender-student-locker-room\/\">an investigation<\/a> into the school system&rsquo;s alleged mishandling of the locker room incident, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3429761\/virginia-ag-jason-miyares-refers-loudoun-county-schools-locker-room-case-doj\/\">referred<\/a> the matter to federal authorities. Toward the start of this school year, the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/department-of-education\/\">Department of Education&rsquo;s<\/a> civil rights office <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ed.gov\/about\/news\/press-release\/us-department-of-education-concludes-loudoun-county-public-schools-violated-title-ix-and-retaliated-against-male-students-amid-sexual-harassment\">concluded<\/a> the boys were wrongly punished.<\/p>\n<p>Josh Hetzler, an attorney at the Family Foundation of Virginia&rsquo;s Founding Freedoms Law Center, the law firm representing the boys, said in a statement <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.loudountimes.com\/news\/education\/feds-sue-lcps-over-stone-bridge-high-school-locker-room-incident\/article_8817769b-3a7a-41a8-ab41-b188e4947052.html\">issued<\/a> on Monday that the suspensions marked a &ldquo;clear departure&rdquo; from constitutional protections.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Our clients were disciplined not for misconduct, but for expressing concerns about privacy and safety&mdash;concerns any reasonable student should be free to voice,&rdquo; Hetzler said. &ldquo;The <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/constitution\/\">Constitution<\/a> does not permit public schools to rebrand orthodox Christian beliefs as &lsquo;harassment.&rsquo; The Justice Department&rsquo;s intervention reinforces that fundamental truth.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/3869327\/loudoun-county-school-district-new-conspiracy-transgender-locker-room-case\/\"><strong>LOUDOUN COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT HIT WITH NEW CONSPIRACY CLAIMS IN TRANSGENDER LOCKER ROOM CASE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>LCPS is one of five Northern Virginia school districts potentially facing federal funding cuts for refusing to scrap their <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/education\/3501882\/virginia-school-districts-ignore-trump-demand-change-transgender-policy\/\">respective transgender policies<\/a> that permit students to access school facilities of their own choosing.<\/p>\n<p>The <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> contacted LCPS officials for comment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>DOJ sues Loudoun County school board over transgender bathroom policy<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3767,"featured_media":2519259,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/gettyimages-1241813832-scaled-e1765305500785.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[7076,68506,35159],"class_list":["post-2519258","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-doj","tag-lcps","tag-transgender-rights"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/gettyimages-1241813832-scaled-e1765305500785.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2519258","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\/3767"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2519258"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2519258\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2519262,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2519258\/revisions\/2519262"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2519259"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2519258"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2519258"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2519258"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}