UNITED STATES NEWS

Virginia attorney general drops case that accused ex-superintendent of firing teacher in retaliation

Jan 17, 2025, 12:00 PM

FILE - Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares speaks during an interview at the Office of the Atto...

FILE - Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares speaks during an interview at the Office of the Attorney General in Richmond, Va., May 9, 2023. (AP Photo/Ryan M. Kelly, File)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS

(AP Photo/Ryan M. Kelly, File)

Virginia’s attorney general has dropped a case against a former school superintendent who was accused of firing a teacher because she spoke out about a student inappropriately touching her.

The former teacher, Erin Brooks, wanted to put the matter behind her and recently resolved a lawsuit against the former superintendent and the Loudoun County Public Schools, the attorney general’s office said in a court filing Thursday.

“Words cannot express how grateful I am to the office of and the Attorney General himself, for the unwavering support and dedication to this case,” Brooks said in a statement released by Attorney General Jason Miyares.

The former superintendent, Scott Ziegler, maintained his stance that the case was politically motivated. Ziegler also said in a statement that “new evidence would have demonstrated that I acted in the best interest of Loudoun County’s most vulnerable students.”

The attorney general’s office was pursuing a conviction against Ziegler for the second time. He was convicted in 2023 on a misdemeanor count of violating Virginia’s conflict of interest laws for retaliating against Brooks.

A judge ruled last year that faulty jury instructions rendered the conviction illegitimate, even though there was “ample evidence” to support a jury’s conclusion of retaliation. A new trial was supposed to start next month.

Brooks had worked as a special education teacher in Loudoun County, which is outside of Washington. She spoke to a special grand jury that was investigating the school system for its handling of sexual assaults.

Brooks told the grand jury and school system critics about her difficulties dealing with a special needs student in elementary school who had been touching her inappropriately.

Prosecutors said Ziegler’s efforts to ensure Brooks’ teaching contract was not renewed amounted to retaliation for her speaking out on a matter of public interest.

Ziegler argued at trial that the teacher’s dismissal was unrelated to her speaking out. His lawyers also argued that the prosecution was politically motivated.

Miyares, a Republican, and Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin had criticized Loudoun school system administrators during their successful 2021 campaigns for office.

They claimed that school leadership ignored parent concerns about the handling of transgender students, as well as the school system’s handling of a student who sexually assaulted classmates at two different high schools that year.

The case received outsized attention because the boy who was convicted in both attacks wore a skirt in one of them, assaulting a girl in the women’s bathroom. It played into a national debate over how schools should treat transgender students and whether they should be allowed to use restrooms different to their biological sex.

Miyares had convened the special grand jury at Youngkin’s request in January 2022. A scathing report that December accused the school system of mishandling the high school assaults, the superintendent of lying to the public, and authorities of ignoring multiple warning signs.

In his statement Thursday, Ziegler said prosecutors in his case disregarded facts and wasted taxpayer money.

“At its core, this effort was designed to sway voters in Northern Virginia, prioritizing political gain over truth and justice,” he said.

In his news release, Miyares said he would “protect the rights of teachers and parents without hesitation.”

“Sometimes it takes the courage of one person to stand firm to create change,” Miyares said. “Today, the entire national narrative has changed thanks to Erin’s resilience. Erin’s demand to be respected was upheld by a jury of her own peers.”

United States News

Demonstrators and lawmakers rally against President Donald Trump and his ally Elon Musk as they dis...

Associated Press

Forced leaves start for thousands at USAID under a Trump plan to gut the foreign aid agency

WASHINGTON (AP) — Forced leaves began in Washington and worldwide Friday for most employees of the U.S. Agency for International Development, as federal workers associations turned to the courts to try to roll back Trump administration orders that have dismantled most of the agency and U.S.- funded aid programs around the world. Under a Trump […]

10 minutes ago

Associated Press

The Latest: US allies in Europe join ICC against Trump’s sanctions over Israel

The International Criminal Court on Friday called on its member states to stand up against sanctions imposed by President Donald Trump, saying that the move was an attempt to “harm its independent and impartial judicial work.” And the embattled court got plenty of support from traditional U.S. allies in Europe who stood up against the […]

20 minutes ago

Associated Press

2 dead, 3 injured in weather event with ‘possible tornado,’ officials in Tennessee say

WARTBURG, Tenn. (AP) — Two people were killed in eastern Tennessee when severe storms with a possible tornado moved through the region. Local officials announced Friday morning that a mother and daughter from the same household were killed when the storm passed through the Deer Lodge and Sunbright areas of Morgan County on Thursday night. […]

47 minutes ago

Tim Andrews smiles as he leaves Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston on Feb. 1, 2025. (Kate Flo...

Associated Press

New Hampshire man is 2nd person known to be living with a pig kidney

A New Hampshire man fought for the chance at a pig kidney transplant, spending months getting into good enough shape to be part of a small pilot study of a highly experimental treatment. His effort paid off: Tim Andrews, 66, is only the second person known to be living with a pig kidney. Andrews is […]

1 hour ago

Rev. Esteban Rodriguez, who leads Centro Cristiano El Pan de Vida, prays for congregants during a c...

Associated Press

Latino evangelical churches gear up to face possible immigration enforcement in churches

Bishop Ebli De La Rosa says his motto right now is “to prepare for the worst and pray for the best.” De La Rosa, who oversees Church of God of Prophecy congregations in nine southeastern states, says he has had to respond quickly to the Trump administration’s new orders, which have thrown out policies that […]

1 hour ago

AP journalist Reid G. Miller speaks on a phone while sitting barefoot in the mud in a U.N. compound...

Associated Press

Reid G. Miller, longtime AP international correspondent and editor, dies at 90

NEW YORK (AP) — Reid G. Miller, who traveled the planet as an intrepid international correspondent for The Associated Press and developed a reputation as a supportive editor and unswervingly loyal boss during the toughest of breaking-news moments, has died. He was 90. Miller died early Thursday in his sleep at his home in Sarasota, […]

8 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

...

Bright Wealth Management

How IRAs are a helpful tool in retirement planning

When it comes to retirement planning, individual retirement accounts (IRAs) can be a great tool for income growth.

...

Bright Wealth Management

How to save money on retirement planning following 2024 election

PHOENIX -- With the 2024 election over, economic changes could impact how people plan for retirement as 2025 is on the horizon.

...

The UPS Store

How The UPS Store is giving back to the community

PHOENIX -- As 2024 nears a close, The UPS Store is looking to give back to the Arizona community with the holiday season approaching.

Virginia attorney general drops case that accused ex-superintendent of firing teacher in retaliation