Alexandria officials push back against ACPS ‘cover up’ story

Alexandria officials push back against ACPS 'cover up' story
After right-wing outlet National Review broke a story accusing Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) of covering up a sexual assault case, city leaders are

Local Education

Alexandria officials say they followed policy in reporting alleged sex assault

Parents have criticized the district’s handling of the October incident at the Minnie Howard campus

By Hannah Natanson
Yesterday at 3:57 p.m. EDT

Alexandria school officials say they followed appropriate procedures, including not notifying all parents, in the handling of an alleged sexual assault in October involving students at the Minnie Howard campus, a satellite of Alexandria City High School that serves ninth-graders. ... The school system and police have drawn criticism — and spurred alarm among some Alexandria parents — in recent days for not notifying parents broadly about the incident. A recent article in the National Review about the assault alleged a coverup by the school system and police, and tied the incident to a high-profile pair of sexual assaults in nearby Loudoun County Public Schools.

Alexandria city spokeswoman Kelly Gilfillen put out a statement Friday saying “the City of Alexandria is aware of the incident, that it was adjudicated in Court, and that the defendant was acquitted.” ... Gilfillen added, “Pursuant to Virginia State Law Section 16.1 – 301, details regarding incidents involving juveniles must remain confidential and cannot be shared.”

Alexandria City Public Schools spokeswoman Julia Burgos said in an interview Saturday that the school system followed its normal protocols and worked closely with police in handling the alleged sexual assault at Minnie Howard. That, together with Virginia law, determined who the school system told about the alleged assault, when and how.

Emails quoted in the National Review story — and separately obtained by The Washington Post — show the superintendent informing the school board about the alleged assault and the school board informing the city council. That, Burgos said, is exactly how the process is supposed to work.

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By Hannah Natanson
Hannah Natanson is a reporter covering education and K-12 schools in Virginia. Twitter https://twitter.com/hannah_natanson

Virginia School Covered Up Sexual Assault That Left Victim Hospitalized

By INEZ STEPMAN
March 18, 2022 6:30 AM

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INEZ STEPMAN is a senior policy analyst at the Independent Women's Forum.