Virginia school district accused of religious discrimination in transgender locker room case

A bluish Virginia schoolhouse territory dropped its Title IX intersexual harassment probe into a Muslim pupil who allegedly complained astir sharing a locker country with a biologic pistillate who identifies arsenic transgender, portion adding further Title IX violations against 2 Christian students progressive successful the aforesaid incident, their lawyer says.

The 3 precocious schoolhouse students, who are sophomores astatine Stone Bridge High School successful Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS), were placed nether a Title IX probe for "sexual harassment" aft "expressing disorder and discomfort" implicit a transgender antheral pupil being successful the boys’ locker country during PE people successful March, according to their attorney, Founding Freedoms Law Center ineligible counsel Josh Hetzler.

Under LCPS policy, students are allowed to usage the locker country and restrooms that correspond with their sex identity.

Hetzler says the district's Title IX bureau notified his Muslim lawsuit that the intersexual harassment allegation against him had been dismissed. However, the territory refused to driblet the intersexual harassment allegation against his different 2 clients, who are Christian, and slapped them with an further complaint of "sex-based discrimination."

The lawyer of 3 Loudoun County Public School students says his clients were placed nether a Title IX probe due to the fact that they questioned wherefore a biologic pistillate was successful the boy's locker room. (iStock via Getty)

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In its dismissal letter, LCPS said that the Muslim student’s alleged conduct, adjacent if proved to beryllium true, "would not represent intersexual harassment" arsenic defined successful its Title IX regulations.

Hetzler’s different 2 clients received a missive from LCPS connected the aforesaid time informing them they were inactive nether probe for intersexual harassment and, now, sex-based discrimination, nether Title IX.

While Hetzler is grateful for the dismissed probe against 1 of his clients, helium argued each 3 students' cases should beryllium dismissed.

"If your crushed for dismissing it against our Muslim lawsuit is that — adjacent if proven, adjacent if existent — this would not beryllium a Title IX violation, past it indispensable besides beryllium existent that it's not a Title IX usurpation for our different clients," helium told Fox News Digital. "So it's conscionable truly baffling that they would bash this."

VIRGINIA FATHER SAYS HIS SON UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR QUESTIONING WHY FEMALE STUDENT WAS IN BOYS' LOCKER ROOM

The students' lawyer, Founding Freedoms Law Center counsel Josh Hetzler, said that the students were told by schoolhouse officials to halt questioning wherefore a transgender pupil was successful the boys' locker room. (iStock via Getty Images)

He accused LCPS of "clear spiritual discrimination" and suspects the territory is backing disconnected the probe into his Muslim lawsuit for governmental reasons, arsenic the Muslim community is simply a "key constituency" successful Loudoun County.

"We find this to beryllium outrageous, and we're pushing back," helium added. 

If recovered guilty, the students could look suspension oregon expulsion and would person the usurpation connected their record, Hetzler says. 

"Often times the process is the punishment," helium added. "They shouldn't beryllium investigated."

In audio of the taped locker country incidental obtained by Fox News Digital, antheral students tin beryllium heard asking, "Why is determination a girl? I'm truthful uncomfortable determination is simply a girl. A female, bro, get retired of here." 

LCPS told Fox News Digital it was restricted legally from being capable to stock specifics astir Title IX investigations.

PARENTS BLAST SCHOOL BOARD AS BOYS INVESTIGATED FOR COMPLAINING ABOUT TRANS STUDENT IN LOCKER ROOM

A spokesperson said the territory was "committed to providing a harmless and inclusive acquisition situation for each students, employees, and assemblage members" and that its Title IX process "follows applicable national law."

The territory antecedently pushed backmost connected the allegations it was investigating students based connected their viewpoints.

"To beryllium perfectly clear: Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) would not analyse oregon subject students based connected their idiosyncratic opinions, thoughts, oregon beliefs, provided those expressions bash not interruption policies prohibiting hatred speech, discriminatory language, threats, oregon different forms of harmful oregon disruptive conduct," LCPS said successful a connection to Fox News Digital successful May. "However, LCPS does analyse and whitethorn instrumentality disciplinary enactment erstwhile pupil behaviour violates LCPS’ Student Rights & Responsibilities Handbook for Families and Student Code of Conduct."

The district’s sex argumentation was precocious challenged by Virginia’s Republican Attorney General, Jason Mirayes, and is present being investigated by the Justice Department. The territory was already nether a Title IX investigation by the U.S. Department of Education implicit its sex individuality policies.

The Biden administration updated Title IX regulations successful 2021 and 2022 to grow protections for LGBTQ+ students, interpreting the law’s prohibition connected enactment favoritism to see sex individuality and intersexual orientation.

Under then-President Joe Biden's interpretation, transgender students were allowed successful women's sports, bathrooms, changing country facilities and successful different acquisition programs.

Soon aft taking office, Trump's Department of Education notified K-12 schools that it would beryllium reversing Biden's re-write of Title IX and enforce these protections connected the ground of biologic enactment successful schools and connected campuses.

Fox News’ Jamie Joseph contributed to this article.

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