Parents in Loudoun County file lawsuit accusing school board of silencing them
A group of parents in Loudoun County are suing the school board, saying they were silenced at a recent board meeting.
The five parents behind the lawsuit say their First Amendment rights were violated when their microphones were cut and public comment abruptly ended at a school board meeting on Oct. 8, when board members unanimously approved a 'gun safe storage resolution.'
FOX 5's Sierra Fox was there and spoke with one of those parents that night, Suzanne Satterfield, who never had an opportunity to speak.
"I’m very upset, I'm very upset. I’ve been silenced," Satterfield said that evening.
During public comment, microphones were cut off after Board Chair Melinda Mansfield said people were speaking about a specific student and his alleged connection to the notorious MS-13 gang.
Parents claimed they were concerned about his being allowed to return to school despite a gun-related arrest and alleged threats to another student.
The group America First Legal is behind Friday's lawsuit, saying that there's a pattern of the LCPS Board not allowing people to speak critically about board decisions .
"Hopefully what this does is shows the school board not just here in Loudoun, but everywhere else, that the First Amendment guarantees citizens the right to go and criticize their government and this is the essence of our country and the essence of our rights," said Ian Prior, Senior Advisor with America First Legal.
Loudoun County School Board passes gun safe storage resolution despite public outcry
The Loudoun County School Board voted unanimously Tuesday night to approve a gun safe storage resolution aimed at preventing unintentional firearm injuries.
Prior added that at no point did any of the parents involved reference the student's first or last name or any identifiable characteristics.
"The government cannot go out there and be the decision maker on what speech is and isn't appropriate at school board meetings because they like it or they don't like it," Prior said.
We also spoke with a Loudoun County parent who is not connected with the lawsuit, who said a lack of transparency has been an issue with LCPS for years.
"Nobody wants to know who this the student, where the student lives. We don't want details," said Erin Smith. "We just want the school to assure us that through transparency, they are doing their best job, everything they can to protect our students - especially because we have the previous example of a student who was dangerous, transferred and reoffended."
Both Smith and Prior referenced the special grand jury report released in 2022 that blamed LCPS for a lack of transparency and accountability regarding a widely-publicized sexual assault.
"It's concerning that when we come to the school board to address these kinds of issues, we're being shut down," Smith said.
The lawsuit is seeking a court order demanding the school board's actions unconstitutional - along with monetary punitive damages.
Fox 5 reached out to all board members for a response regarding the lawsuit and its claims - but did not hear back from any.
A Loudoun County Schools spokesperson said that it is LCPS practice not to comment on ongoing litigation.