The Loudoun County School Board appointed an interim superintendent to lead the district less than 48 hours after firing the former superintendent over a report blasting the school district's handling of two sexual assaults by the same student.
Loudoun County Public Schools Chief of Staff Dr. Daniel Smith will serve as interim superintendent.
On Monday, the special grand jury investigating the mishandling of two sexual assaults in 2021 released a scathing report. Then Tuesday, Superintendent Scott Ziegler was fired.
Smith's plans took a backseat Thursday night as the school board chair and vice chair answered questions for the first time since the special grand jury report found the second sexual assault "could have and should have been prevented."
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Vice Chair Ian Serotkin said he agreed with that finding.
"Yes, I do,” he said. “Absolutely."
The report faulted LCPS administrators for breakdowns in communication, even alleging the former superintendent lied to the school board.
"I think that the board was misled," Chair Jeff Morse said.
He said the decision to fire Ziegler was based on new revelations in the report.
“We knew some of the information in there, absolutely, no doubt,” Morse said. “But there were factors in there – significant factors – that we were completely unaware of."
Morse said LCPS is in turmoil. Now Smith comes in to steer a ship that's been taking water for months.
"I want to provide that stability and support for our kids, for our schools, so we can do that important work,” he said. “I'm passionate about education and our kids, and I want them to have the very best."
One school board member voted against promoting Smith, saying there's still more house to clean, pointing to other current staff members mentioned in the grand jury's report. Smith wasn’t employed by LCPS at the time of the sex assaults and wouldn't comment on whether he plans to take action against other administrators.
