(The Center Square) – Loudoun County Public Schools violated federal law by mishandling a locker room harassment case and retaliating against male students, according to a U.S. Department of Education finding released Tuesday.
The Office for Civil Rights said the district failed to investigate after a biological female who identified as male recorded audio and video of two boys in the Stone Bridge High School locker room.
Investigators found Loudoun dismissed the boys’ harassment complaint but quickly investigated a female student’s complaint against the boys, creating what officials called a “sex-based double standard.”
OCR also said Loudoun retaliated by suspending the boys and mishandling their appeals during the complaint process.
As part of a resolution agreement, Loudoun must rescind the suspensions, issue written apologies, retrain staff on Title IX obligations and notify families about how to file complaints.
The district has 10 days to comply or risk losing federal funds and referral to the Justice Department for enforcement.
“Loudoun County’s adherence to radical gender ideology has repeatedly placed its students in harm’s way,” said Craig Trainor, acting assistant secretary for civil rights at the U.S. Department of Education in a statement.
“First, Loudoun’s policy of allowing students to occupy intimate facilities based on ‘gender identity’ rather than biological sex violates Title IX, compromises safety, and infringes upon the dignity and privacy interests to which students are entitled.
“Second, Loudoun County failed to treat allegations of sexual harassment equally: it promptly investigated a female student’s complaint but quickly dismissed and failed to meaningfully investigate two of its male students’ complaints of sexual harassment…We urge Loudoun County to abandon its reliance upon post-modern ideology and instead embrace the requirements of law by coming into compliance with Title IX,” according to the DOE.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon also weighed in on X, writing that “in Loudoun County, gender ideology trumps common sense.”
The case dates back to March, when the female student recorded the video in the locker room. That prompted her parents and the boys’ parents to file Title IX complaints with the school.
OCR said Loudoun failed to treat the male students equitably throughout its investigation, violating Title IX’s prohibition on sex discrimination and retaliation.
The issue is part of a broader dispute over gender identity policies. In July, federal officials found five Northern Virginia school divisions, including Loudoun, in violation of Title IX for allowing students to use facilities and programs based on gender identity rather than biological sex.
In August, the Education Department placed Loudoun and four other Northern Virginia divisions on ‘high-risk’ status, meaning more than $50 million in federal funds can only be reimbursed after expenses are approved.
Loudoun County Public Schools did not reply to a request for comment by the time of publication.
