LCPS Employees Indicted By Grand Jury

LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA — A pair of Loudoun County Public Schools employees were indicted by a grand jury for their actions in the wake of a pair of high-profile sexual assaults in 2021, according to Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares.

Former superintendent Scott Ziegler was indicted on one count of misdemeanor false publication, one count of misdemeanor prohibited conduct, and one count of misdemeanor penalizing an employee for a court appearance.

Wayde Byard, the school system's public information officer, was indicted on one count of felony perjury.

The grand jury filed an initial indictment against Ziegler on June 14, 2022, before filing additional counts on Sept. 28, 2022. They issued the indictment against Byard on Sept. 28, 2022.

According to Virginia Code, prohibited conduct typically refers to government employees accepting money, gifts, or opportunities in their official capacity. It can also refer to an official using their public position to threaten a person for expressing views on public matters.

If convicted, Ziegler could face a fine of $500 and up to 2 years in prison.

If Byard is convicted, he could face up to 10 years in prison.

"Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) is aware of the indictments that the Special Grand Jury issued that were unsealed today. As a result, Mr. Wayde Byard, Public Information Officer, was placed on leave today in accordance with LCPS Policy and Virginia State Code," the school system said in a news release. "While LCPS will await any additional updates from the Special Grand Jury, LCPS plans to address the recommendations of the Special Grand Jury in the School Board’s December 13, 2022 work session."

Authorities have not specified what exact actions caused the indictments.

Ziegler was fired by the school board on Tuesday after the grand jury released a report into the school system's handling of the sexual assaults that occurred in two high schools in 2021. The same boy was responsible for both assaults.

The Loudoun County School Board voted to name Daniel Smith as the interim superintendent for the school system at an emergency meeting on Thursday evening.

The grand jury determined that Ziegler and other school administrators acted in their own self-interest as they responded to the assaults.

"There were several decision points for LCPS administrators, up to and including the superintendent, to be transparent and to step in and alter the sequence of events," the report says.

The grand jury also believed that Ziegler lied to the public in the aftermath of the first assault.

"At the June 22, 2021, LCSB meeting, the superintendent, in response to a question, said 'to my knowledge, we don't have any records of assaults occurring in our restrooms.' We believe this statement is a lie," the grand jury report said.

A Loudoun County judge unsealed the indictments on Monday, making them publicly available for the first time.

Loudoun4All is a local advocacy group. The group issued a statement on Monday about the indictments.

"Loudoun4All believes that it is difficult to comment on the charges against Dr. Ziegler and Wayde Byard without further details, but Loudoun4All is grateful that real problems in LCPS are being unearthed so they can be addressed," the organization said. "However, we are dismayed at the way information was (and continues to be) intentionally twisted to confuse the roles of the School Board and LCPS Administration in order to place blame on the school board for political purposes."

The grand jury report notes that the Loudoun County School board was not aware of the first sexual assault before public reporting came out. The report also notes that the school board did not participate in any kind of cover-up.

"It is apparent that the Loudoun County School Board failed to provide proper oversight, accountability, and transparency on the superintendent and their staff precisely at a time that the victims needed them the most," Miyares said last week. "It is our hope that this grand jury report will bring about positive change."

The Attorney General's Office will prosecute the charges against Ziegler and Byard.

The grand jury's full report is available online.

Related:

• Daniel Smith Named Interim LCPS Superintendent By School Board
  
• Loudoun Schools Superintendent Scott Ziegler Fired On Tuesday
• Loudoun School Sexual Assaults: Grand Jury Releases Report
• Teen Sentenced For 2 Sexual Assaults At Loudoun County High Schools: Report
• Loudoun Teen Pleads No Contest To 2nd Sexual Assault
• Loudoun Teen Found Guilty Of Assaulting Girl In Bathroom
• Sentence Changed For Teen Convicted In Loudoun Sexual Assaults

The National Sexual Violence Resource Center can provide information about reporting and coping with sexual abuse. Their website also features training materials and tips to prevent sexual abuse. The Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network operates a 24/7 hotline for victims of sexual assault. The hotline can be reached at 1-800-656-4673.