Northern Virginia School Board Reaches Settlement With Boys Suspended Over Transgender Locker Room Dispute
A Loudoun County school board has settled with two male students who were suspended and charged with sexual harassment after questioning a biological female's presence in the boys' locker room.
Loudoun County School Board Settles Federal Lawsuit With Suspended Students
A Northern Virginia school board has reached a settlement with the families of two male students who faced sexual harassment investigations and suspensions after expressing discomfort about sharing a boys' locker room with a biological female student who identifies as male.
According to court records and reporting by ABC 7 News, a federal judge had directed both parties to enter mediation, which ultimately resulted in a resolution. The specific financial or procedural terms of the agreement were not made public.
Legal Representatives Declare Victory
Attorneys from the Founding Freedoms Law Center, who represented the two boys throughout the legal proceedings, issued a public statement on March 3 expressing satisfaction with the outcome.
"While we are not able to share specifics of the settlement agreement, what we can say is that our clients are very happy with the result," the firm stated.
The Incident That Sparked the Legal Battle
The dispute originated from an incident in March 2025 inside the boys' locker room at Stone Bridge High School, part of Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS). A female student who identifies as male reportedly used a recording device to capture footage of three male students who had verbally expressed confusion and discomfort about sharing the space with a biological female.
Under existing LCPS policy, students are permitted to use locker rooms and restroom facilities that align with their stated gender identity rather than their biological sex.
Title IX Investigation and Disciplinary Action
Following the incident, LCPS launched a formal Title IX investigation and ultimately determined that two of the three male students were responsible for sexual harassment and discrimination. The findings were added to their academic records, and both students received ten-day suspensions.
Notably, the school district dropped its Title IX claim against one student, who is Muslim, while pressing forward with additional Title IX violations against the two remaining students, who are Christian. Their legal representatives at the Founding Freedoms Law Center argued this distinction raised serious concerns about selective enforcement based on religious identity.
Families Take Legal Action
The families of the two disciplined students filed a federal lawsuit against the school board, seeking to halt the suspensions and have the Title IX findings removed from their sons' permanent records.
In September, a federal judge granted emergency relief to the families, blocking the district from enforcing its disciplinary measures while the litigation continued. Both students were permitted to return to their classes during this period.
Department of Justice Sought to Intervene
The U.S. Department of Justice also attempted to become a formal party in the lawsuit, contending that the students' religious freedoms had been violated. However, a federal judge denied the DOJ's motion to intervene, citing the settlement as grounds for closing the case.
A DOJ attorney had argued before the court that federal statute grants the department authority to step in even after a settlement, and that Congress intended to empower the federal government to defend citizens when their religious liberties are at stake.
Advocacy Groups Respond to Settlement
Both the Founding Freedoms Law Center and America First Legal publicly celebrated the resolution of the case.
Victoria Cobb, president of the Founding Freedoms Law Center, stated: "We hope that, in the future, as a result of the attention brought to this situation and our efforts to help vindicate these boys, Loudoun County will have an even greater incentive to protect vulnerable students from the harms of gender ideology."
Ian Prior, senior counsel at America First Legal, told Fox News Digital that the organization was proud to have litigated the case on behalf of their clients' constitutional and statutory rights, adding that they would "continue to vigorously advocate for the rights of students, parents, and teachers, whether that be in Northern Virginia or anywhere else in America."
Loudoun County Public Schools declined to provide a comment when contacted for a response.
