VA Attorney General Backs Parents In School Board Public Comment Battle

LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA — Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares has provided support to a group of parents fighting the Loudoun County School Board's ending of public comment during an October meeting.

Miyares filed an amicus brief in a court of appeals in support of the parents who fought the school board's suspending of public comment on Oct. 8. A district court had denied a preliminary injunction from the parents against the Loudoun County School Board and its chair, Melinda Mansfield.

During the Oct. 8 meeting, the school board was receiving public comments about a safe gun storage resolution. However, the public comment period ended early when several speakers mentioned WJLA's reported claim of an armed student who threatened a student in 2023 at a Loudoun County middle school and now attends a high school. When comments about the student came up, Mansfield said public comments cannot discuss a specific student due to confidentiality and parent consent requirements.

With the amicus brief, Miyares argued the ending of public comment was a First Amendment concern.

"The First Amendment protects all viewpoints, including those critical of government decisions," said Miyares in a statement. "The School Board’s actions send a chilling message that dissenting voices will be suppressed, both an unconstitutional and deeply troubling stance. Silencing parents who speak out to protect their children undermines free expression, parental rights, and the accountability elected officials owe to their communities."

In a statement after the Oct. 8 meeting, Mansfield and Superintendent Aaron Spence cited the school district's student confidentiality requirements.

"Student privacy is a core value for Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS), legally and morally, and we are committed to upholding it with the highest standards," the statement read in part. "It is the division’s practice to not publicly discuss any specific student’s information, whether it pertains to academic records, health, or discipline."

The amicus brief detailed the public comment session and Mansfield's reaction. According to the brief, parent Anne Miller first spoke to the school board about LCPS reassigning a student posing a threat to other students to a high school. Miller pointed to how the school district had handled the two sexual assaults in 2021, with the student being reassigned to another school after the first assault.

Upon Miller criticizing how LCPS handled the most recent student case, Mansfield requested that comments not involve identifiable information "that a reasonable person can link together and pinpoint individual students."

Mansfield again gave a warning when parent Carri Michon mentioned a student with a concealed weapon at school.

Parent Abbie Platt spoke about how her daughter is scared to be at school with the student, which Mansfield noted was "personal identifiable information."

When another speaker mentioned a media story about the student, Mansfield ended the public comment. According to the brief, two of the plaintiffs in the case did not get to share their public comments.

The statement from Mansfield and Spence also said LCPS would work to curb increasing misinformation, including unverified claims on social media and local media.

"When media outlets or individuals make claims without naming or verifying sources, they do a disservice not just to the individuals involved but to the entire community," the statement said. "This is particularly dangerous when it involves our children and their safety. As we have stated before, LCPS is vigilant and we would not ask parents to send their children to school if we had specific or credible concerns about their safety."