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2 Virginia school officials indicted amid student sexual assault probe

Va—Schools-Sex Assaults
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Two Virginia school officials were indicted earlier this week by a special grand jury investigating the sexual assaults committed last year by the same student.

The Associated Press reported that Loudoun County Public Schools' former Superintendent Scott Ziegler was indicted on several charges, including false publication, prohibited conduct related to alleged retaliation against a teacher, and penalizing an employee for a court appearance.

The district's primary spokesman Wayde Byard was indicted on felony perjury charges, the news outlet reported.

The indictments were unsealed Monday, the Washington Post reported.

News of the indictments comes a week after the release of a report by a grand jury who were investigating the mishandling of a student committing two sexual assaults within five months of each other at two neighboring high schools, the news outlets reported.

The Associated Press reported that in their report, the grand jury accused Ziegler of lying to the school board last June during a school board meeting for not having knowledge of the May 2021 assault at Stone Bridge High School, which he was aware of, emails showed.

Attorney General Jason Miyares convened the grand jury after Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin requested the school district be investigated, the Associated Press reported.

Ziegler was fired last week after a Loudoun County School Board closed-session meeting, the news outlet reported.

Byard was placed on administrative leave Monday, the Washington Post reported.