Bacon's Rebellion

Democracy Thrives in Sunlight

Things Fall Apart: Loudoun County Edition

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by

James A. Bacon
in

Loudoun County is not Appalachia. Loudoun County is not the inner city. It is, in fact, one of the most affluent counties — sometimes the most affluent county — in the country. But something is very, very wrong, and you can’t blame it on poverty. From Loudoun Now:

In a statement emailed to division parents just before 8 p.m. Nov. 1, Loudoun County Public Schools Superintendent Aaron Spence said there have been 10 suspected overdoses at six of high schools [sic] this year. The news from school officials comes one day after the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office released a statement saying it was investigating eight student opioid related overdoses at Park View High School.

Referencing the Loudoun overdoses, Governor Glenn Younkin called for greater school transparency with parents.

“The Loudoun County Public School division reportedly waited more than 20 days to inform parents despite clear evidence of numerous incidents of overdose among the students,” he stated. “Failure to promptly notify parents endangers the health and welfare of their children and limits parents’ fundamental right to make decisions concerning the upbringing, education and care of their children.”

The latest incident marks 19 juvenile cases in Loudoun this year, compared to 19 during all of 2022, reports Loudoun Now.

— JAB

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35 responses to “Things Fall Apart: Loudoun County Edition”

  1. walter smith Avatar
    walter smith

    Doesn’t Loudoun also have a DOJ employee running for the at large School Board spot, likely in violation of the Hatch Act, and opposed to parents?
    Affluenza with Marxism…a toxic mix.

    1. how_it_works Avatar
      how_it_works

      As long as it’s non partisan it’s not a violation of the Hatch Act.

      One of the worst mayors Manassas Park ever had was a 3-term DOD employee. Ran as an independent every time. Bore an uncanny resemblance to Boss Hogg, and had the ethics to match.

      1. walter smith Avatar
        walter smith

        Yeah…apparently she fully thrown in on the D ticket…
        Posters, ActBlue, etc

  2. how_it_works Avatar
    how_it_works

    I remember the good ‘ole days when cocaine was the drug of choice among the upper class.

  3. James Wyatt Whitehead Avatar
    James Wyatt Whitehead

    18 reported overdoses county wide. Park View High seems to be the epicenter. 8 reported incidents. 4 reported on school grounds. 3 instances of Narcan being used. Twice CPR had to be administered.

    In terms of how the school system is dealing with it, looks like business as usual. I doubt this will have any influence on the school board election.

    Such a sad story. PVHS was once the best all around high school in the county.
    https://wtop.com/loudoun-county/2023/11/8-juvenile-overdoses-reported-at-one-loudoun-co-high-school/

    1. James Kiser Avatar
      James Kiser

      Park View is run by Hispanic drug gangs.

      1. how_it_works Avatar
        how_it_works

        Undocumented undocumented pharmacists!

        1. James Kiser Avatar
          James Kiser

          Nothing like a free market system run by MS 13.

          1. how_it_works Avatar
            how_it_works

            I was once watching an episode of “COPS” where the cop said, “We’re gonna pull this car over, the brake light is out and it came from a known drug house”.

            That got me to thinking…why aren’t they dealing with the “known drug house”?

            Is this normal?

          2. James Kiser Avatar
            James Kiser

            I called local, state and federal law agencies about various issues going on in my neighborhood and not a single response to illegal dealings going on.

          3. how_it_works Avatar
            how_it_works

            The term is “depolicing”.

  4. Kathleen Smith Avatar
    Kathleen Smith

    What concerns me is the fact that the Gov said that the parents weren’t notified for 20 days. In reading the article, all parents were notified 20 days after the first incident. The Gov made it appear that the students that overdosed were not notified, when in fact, the parents of non involved students were not informed. Not sure if this is a privacy issue or a health issue. I agree that parents should be informed after 8 cases, at least they can keep a closer watch on their kids, but I am not sure it was possible in this case. There was no mandatory notification requirement in place.

    1. James Wyatt Whitehead Avatar
      James Wyatt Whitehead

      Long standing Loudoun tradition to not notify parents unless there is no choice. WJLA channel 7 has pursued this story for weeks. Glad to see a spotlight everyone can notice.

    2. James C. Sherlock Avatar
      James C. Sherlock

      “No mandatory notification requirement in place”. There is no such thing as an uninvolved student in a case like this. All are affected. I urge you to rethink it. You offer a legalistic justification of an indefensible decision.

      1. Kathleen Smith Avatar
        Kathleen Smith

        I am not saying I agree with the withholding of information, my point is that often we blame the educators when they are being given advice from attorneys that tell them to do otherwise. Now the executive order will probably go to court for its constitutionality. It is the yo-yo world we live in. I am most happy with the order, it give superintendents an excuse to NOT call an attorney for legal advise.

  5. Nathan Avatar
    Nathan

    More from Louden County.

    https://twitter.com/NickMinock/status/1719862989287764221?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1719862989287764221%7Ctwgr%5E802a80cb95a541af5c00ae5f75330c27a3fcde5f%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitchy.com%2Fsamj%2F2023%2F11%2F02%2Floudoun-county-students-push-for-girls-and-boys-bathrooms-n2389298

    1. walter smith Avatar
      walter smith

      The kids shouldn’t have to do this. Parents – act like parents! You should show them how to resist wrong. Not them show you!
      Grow a pair. You are correct. The crazies are wrong…and crazy.

  6. Dick Hall-Sizemore Avatar
    Dick Hall-Sizemore

    How would failing to notify all parents of overdoses
    “[limit] parents’ fundamental right to make decisions concerning the upbringing, education and care of their children?” Certainly, the parents of the students who overdosed were notified>

    1. VaPragamtist Avatar
      VaPragamtist

      I put it in the same category as Clery Act for colleges and universities. For Clery Act, it’s having the knowledge about criminal acts on campus and using that information to make personal decisions and/or advocate for change with actual data. “Timely warning” provisions go even further, giving individuals the information critical to take action and protect themselves.

      With the OD EO, parents whose children were not directly impacted could still have the knowledge about serious issues on campus and using that information to make personal decisions and/or advocate for change with actual data. Moreover, if the overdoses fall within a short timeframe, that might indicate an issue with the drugs themselves (fentanyl contamination or some such). . .notifying all parents in that instance would be similar to a timely warning, giving parents the information critical to take next steps (talking to their children about the issue and the threat).

      Certainly not a 1:1, but same concept for me.

    2. walter smith Avatar
      walter smith

      The lack of knowledge of the problem certainly affects the non-affected parents. Maybe if more parents knew there was a problem, they would be on the lookout for warning signs? Maybe they’d offer support to the affected parents? Maybe they’d demand actions to help fix it? Maybe they’d offer suggestions to fix it? As opposed to trying to quietly sweep it under the rug.

    3. Kathleen Smith Avatar
      Kathleen Smith

      That was my quagmire as well.

    4. James C. Sherlock Avatar
      James C. Sherlock

      You utterly amaze me with that question. It is an unthinking defense of the indefensible.

      If I was a parent of a kid in Park View and found out about rampant drug abuse and overdoses at that school, I would pull my kid out immediately even if I had to homeschool him myself. I hope you would too.

      Beyond disappointing, Dick.

    5. Teddy007 Avatar
      Teddy007

      And what would most parents do in Loudoun County? Throw more public tantrums? Give more interviews to Fox News? Have more outsiders, like Matt Walsh (Dailywire) come in and film stuff as part of a faux documentary?

  7. ken Avatar
    ken

    Wow…… impressed the school system could move the dealer around to that many schools before being discovered….. much better than with rapists.

    1. James Kiser Avatar
      James Kiser

      The school board and the administration has never changed their soft on chaos policies. When my daughter was going to Park View a kid brought a firearm to school. He was caught and transferred to another school instead of being expelled. He then bought a firearm to the 2nd HS. Finally expelled. Of course there were the usual cries of racism.

      1. James Wyatt Whitehead Avatar
        James Wyatt Whitehead

        Standard operating procedure in Loudoun. Been in place for decades.

  8. James C. Sherlock Avatar
    James C. Sherlock

    I have written more than once about Park View H.S. Here was the most recent: https://www.baconsrebellion.com/loudoun-county-public-schools-part-2-sterling/

    The school division refuses by policy to impose order and discipline. This is the result.

    1. James Wyatt Whitehead Avatar
      James Wyatt Whitehead

      38% chronic absenteeism rate last year. New principal this year. And now this. Park View can’t get a break.

  9. James Kiser Avatar
    James Kiser

    Democrats refuse to place democrat anywhere on their campaign materials. Loudoun County slid into the socialist abyss years ago. Sterling Park which was once a thriving middle class community is now a cesspool of crime and mayhem. It was why I finally moved out.

  10. LarrytheG Avatar
    LarrytheG

    Youngkin has identified a legitimate issue IMO. All schools should have a “dashboard” of sorts that keeps a running weekly total of safety issues like this – including charters and private schools.

    I don’t see any valid arguments against doing it.

    1. Kathleen Smith Avatar
      Kathleen Smith

      This is a good idea. Petersburg police have an app that provides the crimes by ward and by street in that ward. Let’s me know when things get wanky in my neighborhood.

      1. LarrytheG Avatar
        LarrytheG

        Schools might be considered the beating heart of a community (along with daily/weekly police reports) and thus very relevant to the community – and very much an accountability for schools that may have “stuff” going on and now the community knows about it.

        I’d support it. I think the schools might not.

        1. Kathleen Smith Avatar
          Kathleen Smith

          Might make it easier for a principals than withholding info because they were to withhold to.

          1. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            yes.. I see that… changes need to be made and it will take some leadership because the schools will
            line up against it in the GA no doubt. Youngkin can do some good on this IMO if he wants to take it
            further than political point-making.

          2. Kathleen Smith Avatar
            Kathleen Smith

            Yep

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