Headline RoundupOctober 26th, 2021

Virginia Students Stage Walkout to Protest District's Handling of Sexual Assault

Summary from the AllSides News Team

Students at schools across Loudoun County, Virginia walked out of classes Tuesday in support of sexual assault victims, following two recent incidents at schools in the district that prompted outrage from local parents and conservatives nationwide.

A 14-year old student was found guilty Monday of sexually assaulting a female student in a Loudoun County school bathroom in May, and faces another charge for sexual battery at a different school earlier this month. The assailant is reportedly a boy who was wearing a skirt during the assault; some reports from right-rated media have described the assailant as transgender or gender fluid. The victim's father, Scott Smith, accuses school and district officials of denying knowledge of the incident despite ongoing investigations and framing him as a political extremist for trying to speak out about it.

Right-rated news outlets have covered the story frequently and with prominence, often highlighting it on their homepages. Left- and center-rated outlets have covered the story far less overall. In coverage of the walk out, right-rated outlets reported that the assailant was found guilty by a judge on Monday. Left- and center-rated outlets did not mention that and described the assault as alleged. Voices on the right argue that coverage of the story and the political reaction to it are an example of media bias and negligence from liberals and Democrats. 

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