{"id":2539474,"date":"2026-01-16T15:10:02","date_gmt":"2026-01-16T20:10:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/judge-rejects-doj-bid-to-join-loudoun-county-locker-room-case\/"},"modified":"2026-01-16T15:12:55","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T20:12:55","slug":"judge-rejects-doj-bid-to-join-loudoun-county-locker-room-case","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/judge-rejects-doj-bid-to-join-loudoun-county-locker-room-case\/","title":{"rendered":"Judge rejects DOJ bid to join Loudoun County locker room 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%2Fjudge-rejects-doj-bid-to-join-loudoun-county-locker-room-case%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=2539474&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>A federal judge denied the Justice Department&#8217;s attempt to join a civil-rights lawsuit filed by two Loudoun County high school boys who were suspended after objecting, on religious grounds, to a transgender student using the boys&#8217; locker room. Judge Leonie M. Brinkema refused the DOJ&#8217;s motion to intervene as a co-plaintiff, dismissed 3 of 12 claims in the suit, and ordered mediation between the parties. <\/p>\n<p>The case stems from Loudoun County Public Schools&#8217; Policy 8040, which lets students use facilities consistent with their &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >consistently asserted gender identity<\/a>.&#8221; A biologically female student who identifies as transgender allegedly used the boys&#8217; locker room and secretly recorded classmates, and two boys were later disciplined for Title IX sexual harassment based largely on that video. The DOJ&#8217;s civil-rights division had argued it could intervene under federal law and that the school&#8217;s policy and discipline violated the students&#8217; religious beliefs and equal-protection rights; Virginia&#8217;s attorney general and the Department of Education have also investigated, with the DOE finding the boys were wrongly punished.The litigation is pending in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Loudoun County is barred from further disciplining the students while the case proceeds.  <\/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\">Judge rejects DOJ bid to join Loudoun County locker room case on behalf of suspended boys<\/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>A federal judge has reportedly rejected the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/department-of-justice\/\">Justice Department&rsquo;s<\/a> request to join a civil rights case brought by two high school boys in Northern <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/Virginia\/\">Virginia<\/a> who were suspended on <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/Title-IX\">Title IX<\/a> sexual harassment charges after privately objecting to a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/transgender\">transgender<\/a> student&rsquo;s presence in the boys&rsquo; locker room.<\/p>\n<p>During a hearing held on Friday morning, Judge Leonie M. Brinkema denied the DOJ&rsquo;s <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/crt\/media\/1420501\/dl\">motion to intervene<\/a> in the case as a co-plaintiff against Loudoun County Public Schools, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NickMinock\/status\/2012198766674141344\">according<\/a> to WJLA&rsquo;s Nick Minock.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/investigations\/4421197\/guerrilla-ice-watch-groups-backed-left-grantmakers\/\">Guerrilla-like &lsquo;ICE Watch&rsquo; groups backed by top left-wing grantmakers<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/investigations\/4418246\/democrats-request-over-30-million-lgbt-un-agency-appropriations-bill\/\">Democrats request over $30 million for pro-LGBT United Nations agency in appropriations bill<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4418969\/renee-good-family-hires-george-floyd-attorney-one-week-after-ice-shooting\/\">Family of Renee Good hires George Floyd attorney one week after ICE shooting<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Brinkema, who also weighed the school district&rsquo;s <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.vaed.581549\/gov.uscourts.vaed.581549.69.0.pdf\">motion<\/a> to dismiss all claims, dropped 3 out of 12 counts lodged in the lawsuit.<\/p>\n<p>Following the ruling, Brinkema ordered mediation between the parties.<\/p>\n<p>In December, the DOJ <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3912049\/doj-sues-loudoun-county-school-board-transgender-bathroom-policy\/\">asked<\/a> to be added to the litigation, arguing that Section 902 of the 1964 Civil Rights Act gives the U.S. government &ldquo;an unconditional statutory right to intervene&rdquo; whenever a litigant sues under the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/14th-amendment\/\">14th Amendment&rsquo;s<\/a> equal protection clause.<\/p>\n<p>Attorneys with the DOJ&rsquo;s civil rights division alleged that LCPS discriminated against the boys, both of whom are practicing <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/christians\/\">Christians<\/a>, for raising religious objections to the school&rsquo;s transgender bathroom policies.<\/p>\n<p>LCPS <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/go.boarddocs.com\/vsba\/loudoun\/Board.nsf\/files\/D7VLH356939A\/%24file\/8040.pdf\">Policy 8040<\/a> permits students to access school facilities corresponding with their &ldquo;consistently asserted gender identity,&rdquo; regardless of biological sex.<\/p>\n<p>For months, a biologically female student at Stone Bridge High School was able to access the boys&rsquo; locker room pursuant to Policy 8040. In one incident from March 2025, the student, who identifies as transgender, secretly filmed several male classmates, some while they were changing clothes, as they discussed among themselves their discomfort with the transgender individual&rsquo;s usage of the boys&rsquo; locker room.<\/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>Two of the boys, then sophomores, later <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.vaed.581549\/gov.uscourts.vaed.581549.1.0_2.pdf\">sued<\/a> LCPS for finding them guilty of Title IX violations, findings which were primarily based on the illicitly recorded video.<\/p>\n<p>According to the DOJ, the two boys who spoke out are obligated by their religious beliefs to respect the biological distinctions between the two sexes and accordingly use sex-segregated facilities.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, the DOJ said that Policy 8040 effectively requires all students, without regard for their religious views, to adopt the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/missouri-district-keeps-r-rated-books-in-school-library\/\" title=\"Missouri District Keeps R-Rated Books In School Library\">school board&#038;rsquo<\/a>;s beliefs about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/judge-claims-trump-has-desire-to-harm-transgender-youth-halts-orders\/\" title=\"Judge claims Trump has &#039;desire to harm&#039; transgender youth, halts orders\">affirming gender identity<\/a>.<\/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 DOJ argued in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/crt\/media\/1420506\/dl\">a brief<\/a> supporting its intervention request.<\/p>\n<p>Federal officials accused the school system&rsquo;s policymaking body of &ldquo;recasting&rdquo; constitutionally protected activity as discriminatory conduct and thus grounds for disciplinary action. In particular, the DOJ said that LCPS wielded its transgender inclusion rules against the pair of Christian students and <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 their suspension<\/a> following the &ldquo;retaliatory&rdquo; Title IX proceedings.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Loudoun County&rsquo;s decision to advance and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/doj-sues-lcps-school-board-over-transgender-bathroom-policy\/\" title=\"DOJ sues LCPS school board over transgender bathroom ...\">promote gender ideology tramples<\/a> 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>, the DOJ&rsquo;s chief civil rights officer, 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> at the time of the intervention motion&rsquo;s filing.<\/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, <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\">said<\/a> 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>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 LCPS&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> that the boys were wrongly punished.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3912049\/doj-sues-loudoun-county-school-board-transgender-bathroom-policy\/\"><strong>DOJ SUES LOUDOUN COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD OVER TRANSGENDER BATHROOM POLICY<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The case is currently <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/aflegal.org\/litigation\/s-w-v-loudoun-county-school-board\/\">pending<\/a> before the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. For now, LCPS is barred from disciplining the boys while the case is litigated.<\/p>\n<p>The <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> contacted LCPS and the Founding Freedoms Law Center 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>Judge rejects DOJ in Loudoun locker-room case<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3767,"featured_media":2539475,"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\/12\/0171543eecc209f1ad283b4f9e75b6d7-e1768592981467.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[33274,33740,7076,71177,37930],"class_list":["post-2539474","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-civil-rights","tag-court-ruling","tag-doj","tag-locker-room-case","tag-loudoun-county"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/0171543eecc209f1ad283b4f9e75b6d7-e1768592981467.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2539474","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=2539474"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2539474\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2539478,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2539474\/revisions\/2539478"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2539475"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2539474"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2539474"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2539474"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}