LCPS spokesman accused of lying about knowledge of sexual assault found not guilty

Prosecutors said Loudoun Co. Public Schools spokesman Wayde Byard lied under oath about when he knew a female student was sexually assaulted by a teen.

LEESBURG, Va. — A longtime Loudoun County Public Schools employee charged with perjury was found not guilty on Thursday, just a couple hours after the case went to the jury.

Wayde Byard, dubbed “the face of LCPS” by his attorney, was indicted after he testified last year that he was unaware of a sexual assault allegation at Stone Bridge High School in May 2021 until months after the second incident at a different school by the same perpetrator...

Jury deliberating in perjury trial against LCPS spokesperson | wusa9.com

Longtime Loudoun County Public Schools spokesperson Wayde Byard is charged with felony perjury, accused of lying to a special grand jury investigating the district.

LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. — The first day of a high-profile perjury trial against the Loudoun County Public Schools spokesperson wrapped up with testimony from a high school principal.

Wayde Byard is charged with felony perjury for allegedly lying under oath about when he knew a 14-year-old female student was sexually assaulted by a classmate in May 2021.

The same perpetrator transferred to Broad Run High School later in the year where he sexually assaulted another girl. The teen was later convicted in juvenile court.

The controversy over how the school district handled the cases catapulted Loudoun County into the national spotlight. Gov. Glenn Youngkin, R-Virginia, used it as a campaign platform and launched an executive order as soon as he was sworn into office to investigate LCPS.

During the special grand jury, which lasted for months and involved 40 witnesses, Byard said he was unaware of allegations of sexual assaults months after the second incident.

The Commonwealth accused Byard of making a false statement, arguing the principal of Stone Bridge High School, where the first incident took place, informed him of the allegations.

The prosecution said Principal Tim Flynn called Byard to tell him “everything” including that the female student made allegations she was raped in a school bathroom. Flynn said he called Byard to figure out what kind of statement to release to the school community after the victim’s father, Scott Smith, caused an explosive scene on campus.

In the phone call, prosecutor Theo Stamps said Flynn told Byard, “This is bad.”..

Loudoun County principal takes stand in perjury trial | wusa9.com

Loudoun Co. former superintendent Ziegler, school official indicted by special grand jury

RICHMOND, Va. (7News) — Loudoun County Public Schools former superintendent Scott Ziegler and the school system's public information officer Wayde Byard were indicted by a special grand jury following an investigation into two sexual assaults.

A Loudoun County judge ordered Monday that the documents be unsealed, according to a release from Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares. The indictments were handed up by a special grand jury, which was empaneled in April at the request of Miyares...

Loudoun Co. former superintendent Ziegler, school official indicted by special grand jury | WJLA

Loudon County Superintendent Scott Ziegler fired by school board

Loudoun Co. schools tighten social media access for middle school students

Public schools in Loudoun County, Virginia, are attempting to rein in misuse of social media by middle school students on school-issued Chromebooks.

The School Board’s Technology Steering Committee Wednesday night will discuss social media access for students, and hear about recent challenges and changes in an informational briefing.

While social media access and usage on mobile phones is largely between parent and child, access to social media and websites on school-provided Chromebooks for students is restricted...

https://wtop.com/loudoun-county/2022/06/loudoun-co-schools-tighten-social-media-access-for-middle-school-students/

Loudoun County parent group files petition for release of sex assault report

 

ASHBURN, Va. (7News) — Fight for Schools, a Loudoun County parent group, filed a petition for mandamus and injunction in the county's circuit court Monday requesting the court to order public school officials to release the results of the independent review of how the schools handled reports of two sex assaults.

So far, Superintendent Scott Ziegler has refused to release the report due to attorney-client privilege. Fight for Schools filed a Freedom of Information Act request for the results of the review, but LCPS did not allow it...

https://wjla.com/news/crisis-in-the-classrooms/loudoun-county-fight-for-schools-parent-group-files-petition-release-sex-assault-report-independent-review-stone-bridge-high-broad-run-high-blankingship-and-keith

Loudoun County schools to require COVID-19 vaccine or weekly testing for employees

Employees of Loudoun County schools in Virginia will need to be vaccinated against the coronavirus by November, the school system said.

Starting Nov. 1, staff will need to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination. Those who are fully vaccinated or have received their first dose of the vaccine will need to provide proof by Oct. 1, or be required to begin weekly COVID-19 testing and submit results...

https://wtop.com/loudoun-county/2021/08/loudoun-county-schools-to-require-covid-19-vaccine-for-employees/

Will Washington-area schools publicly report coronavirus cases? Many say no.

...This can make it hard to discover whether a school system has suffered an outbreak. When an employee in Montgomery County Public Schools’ central office recently tested positive for the virus, news of the case trickled out informally. Spokeswoman Gboyinde Onijala confirmed it Wednesday, saying she could not release more details due to medical confidentiality but anyone potentially exposed was notified and the superintendent and school board had been informed.

But there are a few bright spots: Loudoun County Public Schools in Northern Virginia, for example, sends schoolwide emails whenever a student or employee case emerges, as well as blasting an alert to local media outlets. The school system of 82,000 has followed this policy ever since campuses shut down in March, even though Loudoun students are pursuing remote learning this fall and do not physically set foot in school buildings...

...In fact, the U.S. Education Department published a letter specifically urging the disclosure of school cases back in March. “School notification is an effective method of informing parents and eligible students of an illness in the school,” the letter argues...

...employees who have returned to school grounds have tested positive: more than 60 between March and Sept. 10. Officials have closed eight school buildings and one maintenance depot for cleaning and sanitizing, according to Onijala, the spokeswoman for the school system...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/will-washington-area-schools-publicly-report-coronavirus-cases-many-say-no/2020/09/30/6275bd6a-031a-11eb-b7ed-141dd88560ea_story.html