Virginia’s controversy-embroiled Loudoun County School Board shut down public comment on Tuesday night after a crowd of parents and residents expressed concerns over the district’s leftist “indoctrination” of students.
More than 250 concerned people in the district signed up to speak during the public comment section over the newest transgender policy proposals mandating employees use students’ preferred pronouns and accommodate gender-confused students’ restroom preferences. Multiple residents on both sides of the debate spoke out during the comment period regarding those policies as well as the school’s decision to fire teacher Byron “Tanner” Cross after he refused to use transgender students’ chosen pronouns.
The board issued multiple warnings asking the crowd to settle down and “respect each other,” but after a former Republican state senator brought attention to the district’s implementation of critical race theory and condemned the hundreds of parents, teachers, and even board members who joined an “anti-racist” private Facebook group that doxxed parents opposed to CRT, the crowd erupted into cheers and the school board unanimously voted to abruptly end the meeting.
Loudoun County school board ended public comment. Anti-critical race theory protesters react: pic.twitter.com/QpdVoiAksl
— Gabriella Borter (@gabriellaborter) June 22, 2021
The board’s decision was met with boos, “shame on you,” and calls for the taxpayer-funded members to resign. As the crowd became rowdier, parents and residents banded together to sing the national anthem and hold up signs encouraging parents to “stand up” to the government school district.
The Loudoun County sheriff’s office declared the school board meeting an unlawful assembly. Everyone told to get out or will be trespassing. Two arrests made #CriticalRaceTheory pic.twitter.com/23Cojtczvy
— Gabriella Borter (@gabriellaborter) June 22, 2021
It wasn’t long after that the Loudoun County Sherriff’s Department declared the event an unlawful assembly and began threatening attendees who did not leave the premises with arrest. At least two people present at the meeting were arrested. One was released after being issued a trespassing summons while the another was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.
Two arrests made at the Loudoun County, Virginia school board meeting after it was declared an unlawful assembly and some parents here to protest against critical race theory and a transgender policy refused to leave right away #CriticalRaceTheory pic.twitter.com/dsZDrqJ0Gp
— Gabriella Borter (@gabriellaborter) June 22, 2021
One of the men arrested is reportedly Jon Tigges, “a retired Air Force veteran and small business owner in Loudoun County.”
This is Jon Tigges. He is a retired Air Force veteran and small business owner in Loudoun County. This is appalling and Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman should be ashamed of himself. https://t.co/r2dt52Yalh
— Ned Ryun (@nedryun) June 23, 2021
“For a year and a half, parents have been trying to get the Loudoun County School Board to stop kowtowing to special interests and put the education of their children first,” Executive Director of Fight For Schools and former senior Trump DOJ official Ian Prior told The Federalist. “In return, they have been ignored, mocked, and excluded from private Facebook meetings where school policies and issues were discussed with a majority of school board members present and participating. Last night encapsulated the frustration of the majority of parents, grandparents, and taxpayers that demand a seat at the table where the educational policies are decided that will impact what kind of education our children receive when we send them through those school doors every day.”
The school board is expected to vote on the new proposals on Aug. 10. It is unclear when residents will have another chance to offer public comment.
Source: The Federalist
