FIRED FROM THE DISTRICT FOR
SIMILAR REASONS.
FOX BREAKING NEWS CORRESPONDENT
TRACE GALLAGHER IS HERE WITH ALL
THE DETAILS.
TRACE.
>> GOOD EVENING.
LAURIE VENDOR MEAL IS A TEACHING
ASSISTANT IN LOUDOUN COUNTY
SCHOOL DISTRICT, SHE CLAIMS THE
BEGINNING OF LAST SEMESTER
STUDENT TOUCHED HER, GROPED HER,
AND FORCED HIS HANDS ONTO HER
PRIVATE PARTS UP TO 80 TIMES IN
ONE DAY.
SHE AND THE LEAD TEACHER WHO
ALSO SAYS SHE WAS ASSAULTED HAD
MULTIPLE MEETINGS WITH SCHOOL
ADMIN STRAINERS, AND THE
TEACHERS SAY THE SCHOOL TOLD
THEM TO HOLD CARDBOARD OVER
THEIR PRIVATE PARTS AND WEAR AN
APRON.
SHE DECLINED AND INSTEAD CALLED
HR, BUT HR, THEY SAY, REFUSED TO
HELP SINGLE WOMEN DIDN’T FILE A
FORMAL COMPLAINT.
SHE THEN ASKED HER FRIEND TO
BRING IT UP AT A SCHOOL BOARD
MEETING, WHICH HE DID, AND
SPEND, SHE AND AARON BROOKS SAY
THE SCHOOL HAS RETALIATED.
THEN TWO WEEKS AGO, BOTH
TEACHERS TESTIFIED BEFORE A
SPECIAL GRAND JURY INVESTIGATING
THE HANDLING OF A DIFFERENT
SEXUAL ASSAULT CASE IN
LOUDOUN COUNTY SCHOOLS.
THAT’S WHEN SHE SAYS SHE AND
BROOKS WERE TOLD THEIR CONTRACTS
WOULD NOT BE RENEWED, AND THEY
COULD NO LONGER TEACH IN THE
DISTRICT.
HERE SHE IS GOING PUBLIC AT LAST
NIGHT’S SCHOOL BOARD MEETING.
WATCH.
>> I AM A SEXUAL ASSAULT VICTIM
AND FOR SPEAKING OUT I AM NOW
BEING VICTIMIZED AGAIN.
MY TERMINATION IS NOTHING SHORT
OF RETALIATION.
PEOPLE ARE BEING INTIMIDATED
INTO SILENCE AND IT’S HAPPENING
ONTO YOUR WATCH.
>> SHE ALSO CLAIMS BEFORE HER
GRAND JURY TESTIMONY SHE GOT
GREAT FEEDBACK ON HER JOB
PERFORMANCE AND AFTER SHE WAS
FIRED HER PRINCIPAL TOLD HER,
QUOTING HERE "IT DIDN’T HAVE TO
BE LIKE THIS, BUT YOU MADE
CHOICES."
THE SUPERINTENDENT HAS NOW
RESPONDED, QUOTING AGAIN.
"I’M COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAS
NEITHER RETALIATED AGAINST ANY
EMPLOYEE FOR RAISING CONCERNS
ABOUT SEXUAL HARASSMENT OR
TAKEN ANY ADVERSE ACTION AGAINST
ANYONE FOR TESTIFYING BEFORE
SPECIAL GRADUATE."
ANY CLAIM TO THE CONTRARY IS
SIMPLY UNTRUE.
THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WON’T SAY
MORE BECAUSE THEY CLAIM STUDENT
PRIVACY ISSUES.
LAURA.
>> Laura: TRACE, THANK YOU.
JOINING THE EXCLUSIVELY IS ONE
OF THOSE TEACHERS, LORI.
GIVEN ALL THAT’S HAPPENED IN
LOUDOUN COUNTY, WHY DO THEY
STILL SEEM TO BE ENGAGED IN
THESE BRAZEN COVERUPS?
>> YEAH, I REALLY COULDN’T TELL
YOU THAT.
IT MAKES NO SENSE TO ME.
>> Laura: I MEAN, THEY HAVE
SUCH A REPUTATION NATIONWIDE,
AND I KNOW LOUDOUN COUNTY REALLY
WELL.
I DON’T LIVE TOO FAR.
AMAZING EDUCATORS THERE,
INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITIES FOR
LEARNING AND EXPANDING YOUR
HORIZONS THERE.
BUT NOW, THIS IS WHAT THEY’VE
BECOME TO BE KNOWN AS
NATIONWIDE.
COVERING UP SEXUAL ASSAULTS,
WHETHER IT’S BY SOMEONE WHO WAS
IN ELEMENTARY AGE KID OR A
TEENAGE KID AGAINST A TEENAGE
GIRL.
>> EXACTLY.
YEAH, IT’S REALLY -- WE REALLY
CAN’T MAKE SENSE OF IT.
>> Laura: WHAT DO YOU WANT
LOUDOUN COUNTY TO DO?
WHAT DID YOU WANT THEM TO DO?
>> WELL, WE WANTED ASSISTANCE IN
OUR CLASSROOM WITH THE BEHAVIOR.
WE WANTED MANDATED REPORTING TO
HAPPEN.
WE WANT -- YOU KNOW, WE WANT OUR
JOBS, WE WANT TO BE THERE, WE
WANT TO BE WITH THE KIDS, AND,
YOU KNOW, WE CONTINUE TO TRY TO
ESCALATE THINGS TO GET THAT HELP
AND WE LOST OUR JOBS.
>> Laura: HOW MANY TIMES DID
THESE -- THIS GROPING OCCUR OVER
THE COURSE OF THE PERIOD OF TIME
IN REFERENCE?
>> MULTIPLE TIMES A DAY, 70, 80
TIMES.
SOMETIMES MORE.
THERE WAS A MEETING WITH OUR
ADMINISTRATION WITH THE TEAM TO
COME UP WITH SOME SOLUTIONS.
WE WERE GIVEN A SMALL PIECE OF
CARDBOARD TO HOLD IN FRONT OF
US.
WE WERE OFFERED AN APRON.
AND THOSE WERE THE TYPES OF
SOLUTIONS THAT WE WERE OFFERED.
>> Laura: DID YOU EVER IN A
MILLION YEARS THINK THAT WHEN
YOU WENT INTO TEACHING,
ESPECIALLY SOMETHING THAT IS SO
FULFILLING AS SPECIAL ED
TEACHING, THAT YOU’D BE FIGHTING
FOR YOUR JOB AFTER BEING
ASSAULTED?
AGAIN, EVEN BY A YOUNGER
STUDENT, BUT ASSAULTED
REPEATEDLY AND THEN YOU’RE ON
TRACK TO LOSE YOUR JOB.
>> YEAH, EXACTLY.
NOW, I NEVER COULD HAVE IMAGINED
IT WOULD BE LIKE THIS.
ALL WE WERE TRYING TO DO IS TO
HELP A STUDENT THAT WE FELT WAS
IN NEED.
AND FOR WHATEVER REASON, THEY
DIDN’T WANT TO -- THEY DIDN’T
WANT TO DO THAT.
I DIDN’T WANT TO HELP US WITH
THAT.
>> Laura: WHAT MESSAGE DO YOU
THINK THIS SENDS TO OTHER, YOU
KNOW, ASPIRING TEACHERS IN THE
AREA WHO ARE REALLY SERIOUSLY
THINKING ABOUT GOING INTO
EDUCATION?
>> YEAH, I THINK IT SENDS A
MESSAGE THAT YOU DON’T SPEAK UP
BECAUSE YOUR JOB WILL BE ON THE
CHOPPING BLOCK.
>> Laura: I’M SO GLAD YOU
SPOKE UP AND I’M SO GLAD THAT I
BELIEVE YOU’RE GOING TO GET REAL
JUSTICE HERE AND THIS CAN’T