Current:Home > NewsVirginia governor pardons man whose arrest at a school board meeting galvanized conservatives-DB Wealth Institute B2 Reviews & Ratings
Virginia governor pardons man whose arrest at a school board meeting galvanized conservatives
lotradecoin roadmap View Date:2024-12-26 03:42:45
The father of a Virginia student sexually assaulted in her high school bathroom has been pardoned after his arrest two years ago protesting a school board meeting became a flashpoint in the conservative push to increase parental involvement in public education.
Virginia Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced on Fox News Sunday that he had pardoned Scott Smith of his disorderly conduct conviction stemming from the June 2021 incident. The episode featured prominently throughout the gubernatorial campaign that year for Youngkin, who has made support for the so-called “parents’ rights” movement a cornerstone of his political brand.
“Scott Smith is a dedicated parent who’s faced unwarranted charges in his pursuit to protect his daughter,” Youngkin said Sunday in a press release. “Scott’s commitment to his child despite the immense obstacles is emblematic of the parental empowerment movement that started in Virginia.”
According to Loudoun Now, Smith threatened to kick out the teeth of deputies who dragged him away from a Loudoun County School Board meeting over state-mandated protections for transgender students. The local news outlet reported that he’d argued loudly, clenched his fist and sworn at a woman while demanding answers over the handling of his daughter’s assault.
In a statement released Sunday, Smith vowed to pursue legal action against Loudoun County Public Schools and continue fighting “for parents and their children.” The district did not immediately respond to a phone call and email requesting a response.
A trial was scheduled this fall over Smith’s appeal of the disorderly conduct conviction and a circuit court judge had already tossed another charge of obstructing justice. Smith told WJLA that his pardon marked a “bittersweet moment.” He hoped the justice system would absolve him of wrongdoing without the “offramp” of a pardon.
“What happened to me cannot ever happen to another American again,” Smith said in an exclusive interview posted Sunday.
The teenager convicted of assaulting Smith’s daughter was later found guilty of forcibly touching another classmate at a nearby school where the perpetrator was allowed to attend classes while awaiting trial in juvenile court. The case galvanized conservatives nationwide when reports spread that the student — who was assigned male at birth — wore a skirt during the first attack.
Youngkin’s administration has since rolled back protections for transgender students. Model policies posted last fall by the Virginia Department of Education say students use of bathroom and locker facilities should be based on biological sex and that minors must be referred to by the name and pronouns in their official records, unless a parent approves otherwise.
The fallout came last December for the Northern Virginia school district in the Smith case. The board fired its superintendent after a special grand jury accused him of lying about the first sexual assault. The grand jury’s scathing report accused the school system of mishandling the teenage perpetrator and said authorities ignored multiple warning signs that could have prevented the second assault. Administrators failed to sufficiently communicate the risk posed by the student to the new school, according to the report.
The grand jury found a “stunning lack of openness, transparency and accountability” but no evidence of a coordinated cover-up.
veryGood! (47281)
Related
- Social media celebrates Chick-Fil-A's Banana Pudding Milkshake: 'Can I go get in line now?'
- Everything you need to know about the compact Dodge Neon SRT-4
- 2024 Olympics: Italy's Alice D’Amato Wins Gold After Simone Biles, Suni Lee Stumble in Balance Beam Final
- USWNT roster, schedule for Paris Olympics: What to know about team headed into semifinals
- A weatherman had a panic attack live on air. What it teaches us.
- Why Jordan Chiles' score changed, giving her bronze medal in Olympic floor final
- You'll have a hard time retiring without this, and it's not money
- American Kristen Faulkner makes history with first road race gold in 40 years
- A fiery Texas politician launched a legal assault on Google and Meta. And he's winning.
- Alabama man on work trip stops to buy $3 quick pick Powerball ticket, wins 6-figure jackpot
Ranking
- Judge tells Google to brace for shakeup of Android app store as punishment for running a monopoly
- GOP leaders are calling for religion in public schools. It's not the first time.
- Debby shows there's more to a storm than wind scale: 'Impacts are going to be from water'
- Pope Francis’ close ally, Cardinal Sean O’Malley, retires as archbishop of Boston at age 80
- Wisconsin’s Evers urges federal judge not to make changes at youth prison in wake of counselor death
- Meghan Markle Shares Why She Spoke Out About Her Suicidal Thoughts
- Josh Hall addresses 'a divorce I did not ask for' from HGTV's Christina Hall
- Thousands brave the heat for 70th anniversary of Newport Jazz Festival
Recommendation
-
As Baltimore’s Sewer System Buckles Under Extreme Weather, City Refuses to Help Residents With Cleanup Efforts
-
Olympic gymnastics recap: Suni Lee, Kaylia Nemour, Qiu Qiyuan medal in bars final
-
White Sox beaten 13-7 by Twins for 20th straight loss, longest MLB skid in 36 years
-
From fun and games to artwork, try out these free AI tools for your entertainment
-
Austin Dillon loses automatic playoff berth for actions in crash-filled NASCAR win
-
Amazon: Shoppers are distracted by big news events, like assassination attempt
-
Man charged with sending son to kill rapper PnB Rock testifies, says ‘I had nothing to do with it’
-
Simone Biles slips off the balance beam during event finals to miss the Olympic medal stand