Loudoun County School Board appoints new Interim Superintendent – One America News Network

December 9, 2022 Sophia Flores US 0

Protesters and activists hold signs as they stand outside a Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) board meeting in Ashburn, Virginia on October 12, 2021. - Loudoun county school board meetings have become tense recently with parents clashing with board members over transgender issues, the teaching of Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Covid-19 mandates. Recently tensions between groups of parents and the school board increased after parents say an allegedly transgender individual assaulted a girl at one of the schools. Earlier this month US Attorney General Merrick Garland directed federal authorities to hold strategy sessions in the next month with law enforcement to address the increasing threats targeting school board members, teachers and other employees in the nation's public schools. This in response to a request from the National School Boards Association asking US President Joe Biden for federal assistance to investigate and stop threats made over policies including mask mandates, likening the vitriol to a form of domestic terrorism. (Photo by Andrew CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP) (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images) — Protesters and activists hold signs as they stand outside a Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) board meeting in Ashburn, Virginia on October 12, 2021. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)

OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 11:38 AM PT – Friday, December 9, 2022

The Loudoun County, Virginia Board of Education has appointed Daniel Smith as its schools new Interim Superintendent. This announcement comes after predecessor Scott Zeigler was fired due to covering up two sexual assault allegations from the same student.

At an emergency school board meeting which consisted of Chair Jeff Morse and six members of the board, Smith, who was hired in April, was voted in as the new Interim Superintendent.

Prior to his promotion, Smith was previously chief of staff at the school. He acquired his new position due to the firing of Zeigler. A grand jury report criticized Zeigler and the school system for their response to two sexual assaults that happened on campus by the same student.

During the emergency meeting, Morse said that he believes the board was misled.

“Obviously, there was some things in the grand jury report that we were unaware of,” Morse said. “They caught us by surprise.”

He went on to criticize the leadership under Zeigler, and said that the school is trying to restore trust within their community.

“There was a complete breakdown of leadership. And we know that on the board, we know that our staff knows that,” Morse said. “We’re going to do everything we can to restore trust.”

Loudoun County School Board Chair Jeff Morse says the goal is to start a nationwide search for the district’s next superintendent.
The goal is to appoint one by July 1, 2023.
A vote to name Daniel Smith as the acting superintendent is expected tonight. @DCNewsNow pic.twitter.com/q2gLwhdEOQ

— Max Marcilla (@MaxJMarcilla) December 8, 2022

The board will be viewing recommendations for a permanent super intendent next Tuesday, with the goal of having the role filled around the beginning of July 2023, in time for the next school year.

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