Education

School Spokesman Found Not Guilty Of Lying In High-Profile Sexual Assault Case

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A Virginia jury acquitted a Loudoun County Public Schools spokesman Thursday who was accused of lying to the special grand jury during an investigation of a high-profile sexual assault case, according to The Associated Press.

Virginia special grand jury found in December that Wayde Byard had lied about being notified immediately after a male student, claiming to be “gender fluid,” sexually assaulted a female in a bathroom within Loudoun County Public Schools, according to the AP. The case became a flashpoint in the leafy, affluent D.C. suburb, with parents accusing the left-leaning school administration of a coverup launched on ideological grounds.

“This indictment was based on a single phone conversation that occurred 14 months before Mr. Byard testified before the special grand jury,” Jennifer Leffler, Byard’s attorney, told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “Mr. Byard testified to the facts as he remembered them. It seemed that everyone involved lacked a clear memory of the events of May 28, 2021.  The prosecution gave other witnesses the benefit of the doubt, and I asked the jury to do the same thing for Mr. Byard.”

The Virginia special grand jury, convened by Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, concluded that the district had “dropped the ball” on student safety following the two sexual assaults that occurred in May 2021 and October 2021. The report found that the school district did not alert the community of the sexual assaults, which involved several students, because of privacy concerns for the children.

The 15-year-old male student admitted to sexually assaulting two female students in 2021 at two different high schools within the district, according to the special grand jury.

Along with Byard, the special grand jury indicted former Loudoun County Public Schools Superintendent Scott Ziegler in December with three misdemeanor charges.

Stone Bridge High School Principal Timothy Floyd claimed that he told Byard about the sexual assault the day of the incident in May, DC News Now reported. Prosecutors noted that they did not have any communications showing that Byard had been notified of the sexual assault the day that it happened.

“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,” Victoria LaCivita, Miyares’ spokesperson, told the AP.

Byard has not decided if he will return to his position at the school, Leffler told the DCNF.

“We are aware of the jury’s decision regarding the charge against Wayde Byard,” Daniel Adams, Loudoun County Public Schools’ community relations coordinator, told the DCNF. “We understand that this is a matter of high interest to the community, but no personnel decisions regarding Mr. Byard have been made. While the trial has ended, we recognize that the work of rebuilding trust continues. The staff of LCPS sincerely hopes that we can move forward strengthening our relationship with the community and reinforcing our commitment to educating Loudoun’s young people.”