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'Shame on you!': 1 arrest, 1 injury after school board shuts down public comment, declares 'unlawful assembly' — and parents are furious
Image source: WRC-TV video screenshot, composite

'Shame on you!': 1 arrest, 1 injury after school board shuts down public comment, declares 'unlawful assembly' — and parents are furious

One man was arrested and another person was hurt at a raucous Loudoun County (Virginia) School Board meeting Tuesday, WRC-TV reported.

What's the background?

The district and its board — as well as parents of students — have made numerous national headlines recently over the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, the teaching of critical race theory, "pornographic" content in assigned books, and LGBTQ issues. Furthermore, an elementary school teacher — a Christian — was suspended for voicing opposition to the district's transgender-affirming policies and then reinstated by a judge's order. And a 14-year-old student went viral after blasting the board for putting her in danger by allowing transgender students to use girls' locker rooms.

And it all came to a head at Tuesday's meeting, which featured high security — state troopers and county sheriff's deputies — due to death threats against school board members, WRC reported.

What happened?

A huge crowd of parents at the meeting — furious over critical race theory and policies surrounding transgender students — held up signs saying "We the parents stand up" and "Education not indoctrination," the station said, adding that they also chanted and even sang the national anthem.

Image source: WRC-TV video screenshot

Former state Sen. Richard Black said the board got angry and shut down public comment after he blasted members over their controversial policies:

Black did not mince words: "You retaliated against Tanner Cross by yanking him from teaching for addressing a public hearing of this board. The judge ordered you to reinstate Mr. Cross because if his comments were not protected speech, then free speech does not exist at all. It's absurd and immoral for teachers to call boys 'girls' and girls 'boys.' You're making teachers lie to students, and even kids know that it's wrong. This board has a dark history of suppressing free speech. They caught you red-handed with an enemies list to punish opponents of Critical Race Theory. You're teaching children to hate others because of their skin color, and you're forcing them to lie about other kids' gender. I am disgusted by your bigotry and your depravity."

Black's microphone was cut just before his last words, and the crowd began cheering.

The board unanimously voted to shut down the meeting after repeatedly issuing warnings about decorum and disruptions, WRC said, adding that parents chanted "Shame on you!" and raised their middle fingers.

Nearly 260 people had signed up to speak at the meeting, the station added.

But a school district spokesperson said "the meeting has degenerated" as the board shut it down and ordered people to leave, WRC said.

More from the station:

One man was "acting disorderly and displayed aggressive behavior towards another attendee," the sheriff's office said in a statement. A deputy intervened and the man continued to be disorderly. Deputies tried to take him into custody and he resisted arrest, the sheriff's office said. The man, whose name was not immediately released, was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

Another man received a summons for trespassing after school officials asked those in attendance to clear the room, the sheriff's office said.

A third person received a minor injury, officials said, without releasing details.

Image source: WRC-TV video screenshot

What did a pair of parents have to say?

A pair of parents told Fox News that fewer than half of those registered to speak actually got a chance to do so, and they both ripped the board.

Amy Jahr told the cable network that it was a "school board meeting on steroids."

"[They were] silencing us every time you tried to speak," she told Fox News. "You try to write emails, they don't answer us. It erupted, and emotions were high tonight, for sure."

Ian Prior added to the cable network that leftists will not prevail.

"They can keep trying, they can keep busing people in or holding rallies outside, but we are not going to stop," he noted to Fox News. "This is the wokest school board in America, and it's also is the worst school board in America, and we are not going to stop until we get a seat at the table."

What did the board chair have to say?

School Board Chair Brenda Sheridan afterward told WRC the board stands with LGBTQ students during Pride Month and will continue to work to make schools equitable.

"We will not back down from fighting for the rights of our students and continuing our focus on equity," she added to the station. "We will continue to work toward making Virginia, specifically Loudoun, the best place to raise a family."

Sheridan also called for a halt to "politically motivated antics" and said "loud voices aiming to make our schools a political battleground will not silence the work for our students," WRC said.

The district has denied repeatedly that critical race theory is being taught in its schools, WJLA-TV reported.

Transgender parent speaks out

Transgender parent Cris Candice Tuck has attended several meetings, WJLA noted.

"At the end of the day, we're very hopeful that the school board is going to continue to do what's right for our students, protect transgender students," Tuck said.

Image source: WRC-TV video screenshot

Tuck in an interview with WRC also seemed disturbed by parents' "violent" behavior at the meeting, saying "they were standing on chairs and throwing things, and we had to go in and ... escort" attendees from the meeting room.

WJLA said the board is set to reconvene Aug. 10 regarding issues discussed Tuesday.

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