LCPS says teacher accused of sexual assault no longer an employee; no charges filed
LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. - No charges were filed after detectives with the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office wrapped up their investigation into a teacher accused of sexually assaulting several students but he is no longer employed with the school, according to district officials.
"The LCSO conducted an investigation, and no charges have been filed. We work closely with victims and their families to identify the best outcome for those involved in each individual case," the Sheriff’s Office told FOX 5 in a statement.
The investigation into the Stone Bridge High School teacher was launched after a female student came forward saying the teacher has sexually assaulted and harassed her and several of her classmates.
"She said the assistant principal is going to call you," mom Tumay Harding said. "I said, 'You're scaring me, what’s wrong?' And she said 'Don't worry I'm ok. The other girls had it worse.’"
Harding says her daughter told her about the abuse in March 2022. That’s when the back and forth with the school district — already embroiled in controversy over its handling of two 2021 sexual assault cases — began for Harding.
The accused teacher was put on leave on March 29, 2022.
"Quite honestly, they should've fired him. We don't want him to be around our children. We think that he is a dangerous man," Harding told FOX 5 earlier this year.
Now, 16 months after the allegations were made, the school district has confirmed that the teacher "is no longer an LCPS employee." No communication was sent out to parents, so it's not yet known when his employment actually ended.
It’s the latest development in the bitter conflict between the school district and parents who say administrators aren’t doing enough to protect their children. They’ve been speaking out against district leaders for more than a year now, demanding transparency and accountability.
Earlier this year, the Loudoun County School Board voted to not release the findings of an independent report on the 2021 sexual assault cases at two LCPS high schools. The contentious report was prepared by the law firm Blankingship & Keith.
The board cited a number of reasons why the report should not be released publicly, one of which was that the report "contains attorney work product and attorney-client privileged communications that are central to those matters."
They also said the report contained "personally identifiable information regarding students," which is protected under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
But parents were outraged nonetheless, arguing that releasing the report was the right thing to do.
"Once again people at this county in this school board are protecting adults," one mom said. "They aren't protecting children."