Scott Zeigler, the former superintendent for Loudoun County Public Schools, isn’t out of the woods. He’s been slapped with new charges from a special grand jury that Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares empaneled a special grand jury in April to investigate the two school rapes that had occurred under Zeigler’s tenure.
Both were committed by the same student initially reported as “gender fluid.” There were allegations that Zeigler might have covered up the rapes to avoid a public relations meltdown. Either way, there were systemic failures in accountability, the level of incompetence accentuated when a local judge ruled that the student had committed sexual assault against another at a bathroom in Stone Bridge High School. But this student didn’t face any legal consequences at the time. Instead, the troubled youth was transferred to Broad Run High School, where there was another assault. The report on this chaotic school district was released on December 5, which led to the school board firing Mr. Zeigler, who will still be allowed to collect his $323,000 salary.
The new charges that this grand jury slapped on Mr. Zeigler don’t seem connected to the past school sexual assaults under his watch, but it adds a new layer of sleaze to this tale. Zeigler faces four misdemeanor charges, including false publication and threatening to retaliate against a school employee (via WaPo):
The former Loudoun County schools superintendent and a district spokesman have been indicted by a Virginia special grand jury investigating how officials handled two high-profile sexual assaults in county schools in 2021, according to charges unsealed Monday. But at least some of the indictments do not appear to be related to the sexual assault cases.
Former superintendent Scott Ziegler is facing misdemeanor counts of false publication, using his position to retaliate or threaten to retaliate against an employee and falsely firing the same employee, according to indictments unsealed in Loudoun County. Schools spokesman Wayde Byard is facing a count of felony perjury.
Victoria LaCivita, a spokeswoman for Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, declined to offer details about the alleged conduct that led to the charges, since the case is pending. Miyares convened the special grand jury.
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This development is minor-league compared to this public school system's inability or unwillingness to hold a student rapist accountable. It only feeds the narrative that this school district and others are out of control, with officials bathing in corruption and malfeasance. We got some bad people around our kids.
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