A Virginia parent political action committee asked the state superintendent of public instruction to remove Loudoun County Superintendent Scott Ziegler.
Fight for Schools sent a letter to Virginia Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow on Wednesday asking her to use the authority granted to her under state law to remove Ziegler from his post as superintendent of Loudoun County Public Schools.
“It should be clear to all observers that Superintendent Scott Ziegler does not possess the capability, experience, or leadership skills to sit at the helm of a $1.6 billion taxpayer-funded school division,” the organization’s executive director, Ian Prior, wrote in the letter.
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Ziegler has served as the district’s superintendent since June 8 of last year, according to the school district’s website, an appointment that coincided with the district becoming the epicenter of controversy over its COVID-19 mandates, its handling of several sexual assaults at a district high school, its promotion of critical race theory and equity initiatives, and the establishment of a transgender bathroom policy.
“Superintendent Ziegler has become such a liability to the safety of Loudoun County children and the trust of the parents that rely on Loudoun County Public Schools to protect those children that, on behalf of Fight For Schools, I request you consider exercising your authority under VA Code §22.1-65 and recommend his removal as Superintendent of Loudoun County Public Schools,” Prior wrote to Balow.
Prior, referring to the sexual assault that garnered national headlines, said, “Ziegler has repeatedly and blatantly misled the public on very serious issues of school safety and has exhibited complete disregard for transparency and accountability.”
The infamous incident that catapulted Loudoun County to national headlines involved a male student, wearing a skirt, assaulting a female student in the girls bathroom of Stone Bridge High School in Ashburn.
Ziegler had been notified of the assault, which occurred in May 2021, the day that it occurred but, along with the school board, allowed the offending individual to attend a different high school in the county, where he then committed a second assault.
The perpetrator was eventually found guilty in juvenile court and was sentenced in January to a mental health facility.
“Superintendent Ziegler shows no sensitivity for his constituency, has lost the support and trust of the Loudoun community, and continues to disrespect that community with unethical and misleading spin and rhetoric,” Prior wrote. “This is not the conduct of a leader who exemplifies the professional and personal integrity required to oversee the education of more than 81,000 children.”
He continued, “Superintendent Ziegler’s dishonest actions have significantly contributed to the credibility gap that plagues Loudoun County Public Schools and has made a once great school system a national punch line.”
“I therefore request that, pursuant to your powers under the laws and regulations of the Commonwealth of Virginia, you recommend the removal of Scott Ziegler as Superintendent of Loudoun County Public Schools,” Prior wrote in conclusion.
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Republican Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares has announced that he is investigating the school district over its handling of the sexual assault. The allegations of a cover-up in the county became major fodder for campaign ads as the issue of education became a top priority and is largely credited with helping the Republican ticket emerge victorious in the commonwealth’s elections last year.
