Gov. Youngkin pardons sexual assault victim’s father after Loudoun Co. school board meeting arrest

Emily Venezky | emily.venezky@wtop.com
September 10, 2023, 11:12 AM

Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Sunday that he’s granting a pardon for a Virginia father who was arrested at a Loudoun County School Board meeting back in 2021 after his daughter was sexually assaulted in a school bathroom.

The man’s daughter was raped at Stone Bridge High School — leading to the father’s arrest for disrupting a contentious June 22, 2021 school board meeting.

The man, whom WTOP is not naming to avoid indirectly identifying the teenager who was sexually assaulted, had been arrested and convicted in District Court of disorderly conduct.

Youngkin called him “a dedicated parent who’s faced unwarranted charges in his pursuit to protect his daughter” in a news release, after the father disrupted a comment period on transgender policy at the school board meeting and resisted arrest.

“In Virginia, parents matter and my resolve to empower parents in unwavering,” Youngkin said. “A parent’s fundamental right to be involved in their child’s education, upbringing, and care should never be undermined by bureaucracy, school divisions or the state.”

{snip}

WTOP’s Neal Augenstein contributed to this report.

{snip}

Emily Venezky
Emily Venezky is a digital writer/editor at WTOP. Emily grew up listening to and reading local news in Los Angeles, and she’s excited to cover stories in her chosen home of the DMV. She recently graduated from The George Washington University, where she studied political science and journalism.
emily.venezky@wtop.com