Loudoun County sexual assault scandal worsens as 7th grader is found groping other boys
The scandal-hit Loudon County in Virginia has been hit with more allegations of sexual assault, the sheriff's office confirmed. Reportedly, a seventh-grader has been groping boys at the Harmony Middle School in Hamilton, but the allegations were never reported before. They have now been uncovered as cops investigated the alleged rape of Scott Smith's daughter at Stone Bridge High School, in the county.
Loudon County's woes exploded in June after Smith was violently dragged out of a school board meeting and arrested. In October, he told Fox News his daughter was assaulted in a bathroom by a "boy in a skirt". The case quickly gained national attention, drawing comments from even former President Barack Obama. Smith also slammed Attorney General Merrick Garland, whose Justice Department announced action against parents who threatened school staff.
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Since Smith's stunning revelations, more and more gristly details have come forward. The biggest so far is that the issue isn't just limited to Stone Bridge High, but appears to be a county-wide problem. It has led to swift condemnation of the school district, especially given it recently adopted a trans-inclusive policy.
'Several similar cases' after complaint emerged
Harmony School's cases came to light after one complaint was made to the police on October 27. That reportedly led to "several similar cases" coming to light. All the cases appear to link back to one seventh-grader, who allegedly touched "other students inappropriately over their clothing." The complaints were confirmed by the Sheriff's spokesperson Kraig Troxell in a statement to The Daily Mail.
"At this time detectives have determined there are additional male students who were inappropriately touched by the same juvenile. Those incidents had not been previously reported to school officials or law enforcement," Troxell said. When contacted, the school district's spokesman Wayde Byard said he had nothing more to add. It's unclear if the individual has been removed from the school, with police refusing to divulge further details.
However, as is the case with Smith's daughter, it appears the victims in Harmony School are considering legal action. Alecia Brand, who is serving as a spokesperson for one of the victim's families told The Mail, "The family is requesting privacy at this time while they seek legal counsel." Brand went on to slam the county's Policy 8040, saying, "This is just another example of Loudoun County Public Schools focusing on political ideology and private interest group agendas instead of their most important jobs, safety and education."
The update also puts the school district further under the scanner. During the controversial June meeting in which Smith was arrested, the board said they had received no reports of sexual assaults. It's unclear why students never came forward before this to report the assaults, but it certainly has left the board in a tough spot. The news has also led to attacks on board members, with one of them, Beth Barts, announcing she was stepping down on October 28.
Apart from igniting a nationwide debate on transgender rights, the case has also reignited Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Glenn Youngkin's campaign. Right from the start, he was trailing Democratic candidate Terry McAuliffe but has since closed the gap by leveraging the story to push for his election.