Last Case Against Former Loudoun Schools Superintendent Scott Ziegler Dropped

LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA — Former Loudoun County Public Schools Superintendent Scott Ziegler no longer faces a charge relating to retaliation against a teacher, which stemmed from the investigation into the school district's sexual assault controversy.

The former superintendent had been convicted by a jury on a charge of violating the state’s conflict of interest law for retaliation against special education teacher Erin Brooks. The case relates to an accusation of Ziegler firing a special education teacher who expressed concerns about being inappropriately touched by a student, court records showed.

However, a judge set aside the conviction in 2024, calling for a new trial.

Now, members of Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares's team requested the charge be dropped, WTOP reported. The attorney general's team was responsible for an investigation into the 2021 sexual assaults by a high school student at two schools.

In a statement reported by WTOP, Ziegler said he was impacted by a "politically motivated prosecution, one that disregarded the facts" and thanked those who supported him.

The attorney general's office released a statement indicating Brooks settled a civil suit with Ziegler and the Loudoun County School Board.

"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," said Brooks. "Their thorough investigation and research, including their dedication to truth and justice, are what led to the initial conviction."

"Sometimes it takes the courage of one person to stand firm to create change," added Miyares in a statement. "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. Public school administrators are now on notice knowing that this attorney general will defend and protect the rights of teachers and parents without hesitation."

In 2021, Loudoun County Public Schools attracted national attention for its handling of sexual assault cases involving a then-15-year-old boy. After the first assault at Ashburn's Stone Bridge High School in May 2021, officials transferred the boy to Broad Run High School in Ashburn. In October 2021, the boy sexually assaulted a victim at Broad Run High School, according to court records.

Ziegler, who was superintendent at the time, was eventually fired by the school board.

The retaliation against a teacher case had been the only conviction resulting from Miyares' investigation of LCPS following the 2021 sexual assaults. Miyares had led the investigation by request of Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who had campaigned on criticizing the school system for its handling of the two sexual assault cases. Ziegler had been previously charged with false publication and penalizing an employee for a court appearance before the charges were dropped.

The student behind the sexual assaults was sentenced to a residential treatment facility, but Fox5 reported in July 2024 that a judge ordered his release when he was 18.

Wayde Byard, a former LCPS spokesperson charged in the investigation, was found not guilty and has since released a book titled The Battle for Loudoun County: Inside the Culture War Between a ‘Woke’ School Board and the Radical Right.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.