Parents say they were silenced by the school board when they tried to raise concerns about a student who was allowed to return to school despite suspected ties to the notorious MS-13 gang. group is suing the Loudoun County School Board in northern Virginia.
The parent group at the center of the lawsuit called out board members during a public meeting when they tried to express concerns about reports that a student who entered the country illegally and is said to be affiliated with MS-13 was allowed to return home. He claims that he was silenced by the association. He attended school despite being arrested for possessing a gun and threatening to shoot another student.
“The Loudoun County School Board has repeatedly demonstrated through its actions that it is unwilling to respect the rights of community members and parents to express concerns about public school activities. This constitutional violation , is even more remarkable when you consider that: “This issue was related to student safety,'' Ian Pryor, senior general counsel for America First, the group representing the parents, said in a statement.
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Students and parents hold signs outside the Loudoun County School Board meeting on October 26, 2021 in Ashburn, Virginia. (Photo by Katherine Frey/Washington Post via Getty Images)
The parents, who are filing the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, said during the Oct. 8 public school board meeting, some parents tried to raise concerns with the board about their decision. The lawsuit alleges that his First Amendment rights were violated. To reinstate the student, the board would have to disconnect the microphone and end the public comment period.
In a press release after the incident, the board claimed the parents had violated public comment period rules and were trying to stop the spread of “misinformation.”
“Despite repeated requests from the Board of Directors, there were a number of individuals who attempted to discuss what had been reported in the media or to discuss specific students.As a result, in accordance with the Board of Education, the Board of Directors “Public comment procedures have been closed in order to restore the “public comment process,'' the release states. “Misinformation is on the rise, and school departments like LCPS must be on guard to proactively combat it. It is our responsibility to denounce false information if it is intentionally used for the purpose of doing so.
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On October 12, 2021, at the Loudoun County Public School Board meeting in Ashburn, Virginia, Patti Hidalgo Menders spoke out against the school board's actions. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)
The board also said that the allegations against the student at the center of the controversy are “untrue,” and that naming the student or speaking publicly about him is “not only for those involved” but “for the community.” It will have a negative impact on the whole.” . ”
“This is especially dangerous when it comes to our children and their safety,” the release states.
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This is not the first time the Loudoun County School Board has been in the spotlight over its policies regarding transgender students and restroom policies that allow transgender students and locker rooms based on their choice rather than their biology. It has been controversial in recent years. , gender.
In the board's latest controversy, parents have argued that they have the right to raise concerns about the district's policies at public hearings.
Loudoun County School Board members vote to enact Policy 8040 during a Board of Education meeting at the Loudoun County Public Schools Administration Building in Ashburn, Virginia, on August 11, 2021. (Photo by Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
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“While Loudoun County Public Schools may believe it can strip First Amendment rights based on so-called 'misinformation' claims, the Bill of Rights recognizes that the government is not the arbiter of truth in the United States. We are making it clear,” Mae said. Said.
The Loudoun County School Board did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
