Loudoun County: Former superintendent fired teacher for reporting sexual assault cases

Scott Ziegler, the former school superintendent of Loudoun County, Virginia, was convicted of wrongfully firing a teacher who told investigators about the district's mishandling of sexual assault cases by a student.

After a four-day trial, a jury of six women and one man decided Friday that Ziegler is guilty of using his position to retaliate against a teacher who cooperated in an investigation against the district. However, he was acquitted of punishing someone for testifying before a jury.

Now, the former superintendent could face a fine of $2,500, go to jail for up to 12 months, or both. The sentence will be handed down on January 4, 2024, according to Judge Douglas Fleming Jr.

“Justice has finally been served in Loudoun County (…)Today, my office brought a measure of justice for Erin Brooks. The Office of the Attorney General will always be a voice for victims, and we’re grateful for the jury’s verdict,” said Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares.

Ziegler's case arose after Brooks spoke to investigators about the cover-up of an alleged sexual assault in 2021, and testified how a 10-year-old student allegedly touched her inappropriately.

After this occurred, the then-superintendent decided not to renew the teacher's contract for the 2021-22 school year based on an alleged negative evaluation.

During the trial, school board member John Beatty testified that Ziegler said Brooks provided private information to a conservative activist. However, prosecutors showed that not only did the teacher have a stellar record and was even named Special Education Teacher of the Year the previous year, but it would be illegal to punish Brooks just for telling the truth.

Ziegler was fired in December after the grand jury issued a report.

The former superintendent also could face trial in another related case involving an alleged false statement Ziegler made at a school board meeting that there were no , even though he knew that a boy wearing a skirt raped a ninth-grade student.