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Virginia school board settles lawsuit with students accused of harassing trans classmate

Stone Bridge High School had found two Loudoun County boys responsible for harassment and discrimination last March.

A yellow school bus parked in a parking lot reads in black lettering on the side: "Loudoun County Public Schools."
Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post via Getty Images

A Virginia school board settled a legal dispute last week with two students who sued the school after they were suspended for their treatment of a trans classmate.

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In March 2025, the Loudoun County School Board suspended three boys for filming a transgender student using the male locker room at Stone Bridge High School and asking probing questions. The school board opened a Title IX investigation into the boys and found two responsible for sexual harassment and sex-based discrimination, Loudoun Now reported.

The two boys then sued the school board, arguing it discriminated against them for their Christian faith. The case quickly drew attention from conservative groups and raised $130,000 in an online fundraiser to cover the boys’ legal fees. In late 2025, the Justice Department asked the federal judge overseeing the case to join the plaintiffs, but its request was denied.

Related: Virginia sued over Glenn Youngkin’s anti-transgender student policies

Related: Cisgender students allowed to sue Virginia schools to avoid sharing restrooms with trans classmates

Judge Leonie M. Brinkema, who presides over the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, said at a hearing last Friday that the school board and the boys’ legal team had settled on the case, according to Loudon Now. The terms of the settlement have not been made public.

Representatives for both the school board and high school did not immediately return requests for comment. Neither did the students’ legal counsel.

Related: Supreme Court seems likely to rule against transgender athletes in school sports programs

Related: Virginia school board adopts anti-transgender policy and blocks LGBTQ+ club

The Loudoun County School Board permits students to use facilities that align with their gender, including locker rooms. A federal court in Virginia had previously ruled that school districts could not prohibit trans students from using the restrooms that match their gender identity.

This article was written as part of the Future of Queer Media fellowship program at The Advocate, which is underwritten by a generous gift from Morrison Media Group. The program helps support the next generation of LGBTQ+ journalists.

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