School Board ‘Cowards’ For COVID Closures: Loudoun Man Says

ASHBURN, VA — At Tuesday's Loudoun County School Board meeting, a local man screamed at school board members for their refusal to reopen schools. The school board requested that the man leave the venue after his impassioned denunciation of the board members.

Loudoun County Public Schools, like many school districts across the country, have been closed since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March. The school district has not yet finalized a date for a return to in-person learning for students.

In his tirade, the man called school board members "cowards" who "should be fired," for not opening schools, as seen in a video posted to Twitter. "If your employers knew that you were more inefficient than the DMV, you would be replaced in a heartbeat," he said. "Figure it out, or get off the podium."

Next Tuesday, Feb. 2, the Loudoun County School Board will vote on a plan that would allow some students the option of in-person learning. The plan would allow elementary school-aged children to return to school for two days per week by February 16, if their parents choose to opt-in. Under this proposal, presented by Interim Superintendent Scott Ziegler, the remainder of students would return to in-person learning by March 3.

“The garbage workers who pick up my freaking trash risk their lives every day more than anyone in the school system,” the man shouted at the meeting.

In a letter posted to the Loudoun County Public Schools' website, Ziegler addressed the now-viral video and the discussions about it on social media.

"Following Tuesday’s School Board meeting there has been increased media attention paid to Loudoun County, specifically regarding the reopening of schools," he said. "I want you to know that LCPS staff and the community we serve have a common goal: to return students to school safely as soon as possible."