Jury Acquits Loudoun County, Virginia Official Accused of Covering Up Sexual Assault
The case involving a female student who was raped in the bathroom has attracted national scrutiny for Loudoun’s trans-friendly policies
A Loudoun County, Virginia school official accused of lying about an on-campus rape that took place in a school bathroom has been acquitted by a jury.
Loudoun County Public Schools Public Information Officer Wayde Byard had been charged with felony perjury after prosecutors say he lied under oath about the sexual assault of a teenage student.
In 2021, a female student was raped by a male student who was said to have been wearing a skirt at the time of the assault.
School officials later came under fire for claiming that they had no record of sexual assaults in campus bathrooms at a heated school board meeting where many parents took vocal objection to the trans-friendly bathroom policies.
The father of the victim was notably arrested for becoming irate during the meeting upon his consternation to hear officials deny the incident so blatantly.
A number of witnesses testified during Byard’s hearing, offering varying degrees of support that he may or may not have told others about the incident before later telling the grand jury he had not been aware of it.
Despite his acquittal, Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares, who commissioned the grand jury report on the matter, was “proud” that the judge agreed to hear the case.
"Lying under oath undermines our justice system and must be taken seriously," a spokesperson for his office stated. "While we are disappointed with the jury's decision, we're proud of our team for uncovering the truth and providing answers to concerned Virginia parents."