After allegations of rape taking place in the Loudoun County School District have come pouring in as of late, a school board member, Beth Barts, has resigned. She had been the subject of a recall effort.
Beth Barts, @LCPSOfficial, announces her resignation…effective Election Day@TerryMcAuliffe wants you to think there’s nothing amiss in Virginia schools; @GlennYoungkin has been campaigning on fixing them #VAGOV https://t.co/vNAzehCTKn
— Matthew Foldi (@MatthewFoldi) October 15, 2021
Particularly noteworthy that Bart's resignation will be effective on Election Day. Education, especially with what has been a top issue in the commonwealth's gubernatorial race between Democrat Terry McAuliffe and Republican Glenn Youngkin. Beyond these multiple allegations of rape, the school district has also been caught up in issues to do with Critical Race Theory (CRT), and transgender students and pronouns.
I HAVE GREAT NEWS!
— #ThePersistence (@ScottPresler) October 15, 2021
Loudoun County School Board Member, Beth Barts, is resigning.
Barts was part of a Facebook group that encouraged teachers to post the personal info. of parents who oppose Critical Race Theory.
Thank you to every parent who gathered signatures for her recall.
The statement of resignation shared by Barts to a Facebook group known as "Barts Blog".....stay up to date with the Loudoun County School Board," is rather generic. In it, Bart makes no mention of the outrage in the community surrounding the allegations.
My article about the nature of education in Virginia's gubernatorial race touches upon one such rape allegation. Scott Smith, a parent of a ninth-grader in the district, was arrested on June 22 at a school board meeting. He just recently revealed that his outburst had to do with allegations that his daughter had been raped in a bathroom by a biological boy in a skirt, and that he was no longer keeping his "silence" now that he says there have been allegations from another victim made about this individual.
Matt yesterday covered how Vice President for Strategy and Investigations at Parents Defending Education Asra Q. Nomani tweeted about a civil lawsuit the Smith family has taken against the school district with regards to the rape allegations.
NEW: Virginia Department of Education "is reviewing the discipline, crime and violence data submissions of Loudoun County Public Schools and is in communication with LCPS to determine... whether the division is in compliance with state and federal law.”
— Luke Rosiak (@lukerosiak) October 14, 2021
Luke Rosiak, who has continuously been covering the allegations for The Daily Wire, reported on Thursday that the district has actually failed to report such assaults over the course of years, despite a state law requiring them to do so.
And just like that... BETH BARTS, The primary focus of the first Loudoun County School Board recall effort HAS RESIGNED! https://t.co/0lvCFmrI6P
— Larry O'Connor (@LarryOConnor) October 15, 2021
???? This is how you fight. And win. Bravo to @iandprior and all of the parents who organized to make this happen. https://t.co/Dv9r747cXL
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) October 15, 2021
Executive Director of Fight for Schools Ian Prior, who has addressed other issues facing the school district in a column for Townhall, tweeted out a statement from the organization, emphasizing that Barts' resignation is not the only one that should be happening as the problems going in the district and on the school board "go well beyond one school board member."
He also noted they "will keep fighting until we have a school board of common sense, non-partisan members and a superintendent who is accountable to parents and tells the truth."