Virginia School Covered Up Sexual Assault That Left Victim Hospitalized

In the national debate over the direction of K–12 education, the battle lines separating parents and institutions are only hardening.

School boards, accustomed to operating without much democratic input and to winning elections with minuscule turnout, are reacting to the sudden spotlight by covering up the consequences of their decisions and hiding crucial information from parents, even when it concerns their children’s safety. In Loudoun County, Va., the district’s cover-up of a sexual assault in a school bathroom became a national story last year and arguably affected the state’s gubernatorial election. Now, a similar case is coming to light in nearby Alexandria.