MDOT said in a statement Wednesday that they鈥檙e expanding the Lyft rideshare credit, which has been $5 per weekend this month, to $20 to be applied between 4 p.m. and 4 a.m. any day between Thursday, Dec. 29, and Monday, Jan. 2.

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To use the payment, open the Lyft app, choose 鈥淧ayment鈥� from the upper left corner, scroll to the 鈥淎dd Lyft Pass鈥� section and use the code NYEMAKEAPLAN2023.

As of Thursday afternoon, all the codes have been taken, but MDOT said they鈥檙e going to keep an eye out over the weekend for how many people actually use the codes “and then reevaluate the number of codes made available.”

MDOT said 975 people have been arrested and charged with driving under the influence between Dec. 1 and Dec. 26. They added that 173 people were killed and more than 2,800 hurt on Maryland roads because of impaired driving.

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The police on Wednesday afternoon said Paul Graves, 66, of Herndon, has been charged with three felonies: abduction, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and shooting in an occupied building. He鈥檚 being held without bond.

The police said they got a call at about 9:15 p.m. Tuesday from someone inside a home in the 700 block of Hemlock Court claiming that someone else there had fired a gun.

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“The incident quickly escalated into a hostage and barricade situation,” Herndon police spokesperson Lisa Herndon said.

The hostage was able to escape shortly before midnight, the police said; Graves surrendered peacefully at about 8:45 a.m. Wednesday. He had minor injuries that the police said weren’t related to the incident.

Herndon Parkway had been closed during the standoff; it was reopened at around 9:20 a.m.

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Officer Terence Sutton was found guilty of second-degree murder. conspiracy to obstruct justice and obstruction of justice in the death of Karon Hylton-Brown, 20; Lt. Andrew Zabavsky was found guilty of conspiracy to obstruct justice and obstruction of justice.

The jury began deliberating last week.

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Hylton-Brown was riding a rental scooter with no helmet on a sidewalk 鈥� both traffic violations 鈥� in the 400 block of Kennedy Street, in Northwest, on the night of Oct. 23, 2020, when officers tried to stop him.

He didn’t stop and the officers chased him for more than three minutes, covering 10 blocks. The D.C. police can鈥檛 pursue a vehicle if the only reason is to make a traffic stop. Hylton-Brown drove out of an alley in the 700 block of Kennedy Street and was hit by another driver heading down Kennedy Street. He later died in a hospital.

The office of U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves said in a statement that Sutton drove “in conscious disregard for an extreme risk of death or serious bodily injury” during the chase and that both officers “conspired and combined to hide from MPD officials the circumstances of the traffic crash leading to Mr. Hylton-Brown鈥檚 death.”

Sutton faces a maximum of 65 years in prison on the charges; Zabavsky, 25, faces up to 25 years on his charges.

As the verdict was being read, Karen Hylton-Brown, Karon’s mother, was removed from the courtroom following an outburst. Law enforcement officials confirmed her removal to 草莓传媒, but did not say if she faces any charges. Karen Hylton-Brown was not available for comment after the hearing.

“I think that [authorities] were a little bothered by one of their colleagues being found guilty. 鈥� This is a historical trial, it was emotional on all sides. At the end of the day, Karen doesn’t get to bring her son home. So it’s not a real win,” said Jay Brown, a social impact consultant with Community Shoulders, who told 草莓传媒 that he was the one who carried her out of the courtroom.

He disputed the narrative told by authorities of Hylton-Brown’s outburst.

During the trial, Assistant U.S. Attorney Ahmed Baset said the officers’ chase of Karon Hylton-Brown was a 鈥済ame鈥� to the officers. In particular, he said Sutton forced Karon Hylton-Brown out of the alley in a deadly game of chicken, causing the crash.

Sutton鈥檚 attorney, Michael Hannon, pointed to the amount of THC found in Karon Hylton-Brown鈥檚 system, which was around 10 times the amount needed to affect someone鈥檚 abilities.

草莓传媒’s Mike Murillo contributed to this report.

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The Metro for DC Bill, sponsored by Council member Charles Allen, also calls for a $100 monthly subsidy for all D.C. residents to use on their SmartTrip cards; overnight service for 12 major bus lines, and a $10 million bus service improvement fund.

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Allen in a statement said the bill 鈥渕akes the District a national leader in the future of public transit.鈥� He said the free bus rides could start as early as July, and the subsidy could begin in 2024.

鈥淚t鈥檚 going to make a major difference in people鈥檚 lives almost immediately,鈥� he said.

The provisions of the bill are dependent on funding, the statement said. The free buses constitute the first priority for funding that comes in, followed by the 24-hour buses, the improvement fund and the subsidies.

Two weeks ago, the council passed a bill that would set aside any growth in local revenue not foreseen in the budget to pay for the first three items on the list.

Allen said earlier that if D.C. residents don鈥檛 spend the full $100 subsidy on their SmartTrip cards in a month, they鈥檇 be topped up to that amount. He said in the statement that making the buses free would save the District between $36 million and $38 million on the subsidy.

An analysis by the council鈥檚 budget office found that the bus was where the greatest impact on equity could be made. Among its findings:

• 84% of bus riders in D.C. are residents, compared with 44% of rail riders who board in D.C.
• D.C. residents who ride the bus are half as likely to have a workplace transit subsidy as residents who take the rail, while the highest-income riders in D.C. are five times as likely to have a workplace transit subsidy as the lowest-income riders.

The budget office also said at least 42 other U.S. jurisdictions provide fare-free transit or a subsidy for low-income riders.

The measure now heads to Mayor Muriel Bowser’s desk for consideration.

Source

That means the trains will run from 7 a.m. to midnight both days, Metro said, with the Green Line running every eight minutes; the Red Line running every 10 minutes, and the Blue, Orange and Silver lines running every 15 minutes. Parking at Metro parking garages and lots will be free.

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The train fares will be $2 all day Sunday, while off-peak fares will be in effect all day Monday.

Buses will run on a Sunday schedule both days for the usual $2 fare. You can check on Metro鈥檚 site.

MetroAccess will still run, but recurring 鈥渟ubscription trips鈥� are canceled. If you need to use the service on Sunday or Monday, call them at 301-562-5360 (TTY 301-588-7535) or go .

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Master Deputy James Flynt had been in critical condition, Sheriff-elect Ricky Cox said in a statement Monday, but 鈥渨e are ecstatic to be able to say his condition has improved and currently he can be described as stable.鈥�

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Flynt has been alert and able to communicate, Cox said, and was set to undergo more surgery Monday.

He鈥檚 still expected to be in intensive care for an extended time.

鈥淲hile he still has a long road to recovery, his prognosis has greatly improved in the last 24 hours,鈥� Cox said. 鈥淧lease continue to keep him in your thoughts and prayers.鈥�

Flynt was wounded in an exchange of gunfire with Brandon Turner, 21, of Greenbelt, after a chase that began with an attempted traffic stop near Yellow Bank Road in Dunkirk, authorities said.

Turner allegedly drove off from the traffic stop, heading south on Route 4 and firing at deputies who were chasing him.

The chase ended on Walnut Creek Road in Huntingtown, the Sheriff鈥檚 Office said. When they stopped Turner鈥檚 car, he and his passenger ran off. That鈥檚 when Flynt was shot, they said, adding that Turner was shot when other deputies returned fire.

Turner was arrested at the entrance to the Walnut Creek subdivision. He鈥檚 facing charges of attempted first-degree murder, first-degree assault, attempted second-degree murder and second-degree assault of a law enforcement officer.

The Sheriff鈥檚 Office is handling the investigation themselves. They contacted the attorney general鈥檚 Independent Investigations Division, which generally respond to police shootings. But it declined because it no longer handles incidents that do not, or are not likely to, result in the death of the suspect, a division spokesman said.

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The men, who lived in Virginia, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and West Virginia, were sentenced to a total of 128 years in prison after an investigation by the Northern Virginia-District of Columbia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

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Virginia State Police Sgt. R.J. Brown III, supervisor of the task force, said in a statement that most of the men 鈥渃onducted their illegal solicitation of minors through social media apps and gaming platforms popular with children. Handing over a phone or iPad to your child without any digital safeguards or discussions about what is appropriate and safe usage is the same as handing over your child to any one of these predators.鈥�

The men were all convicted of online solicitation of a minor under 15; one was also convicted of distribution of child sex abuse material.

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Anthony Williams, 44, of Gaithersburg, Maryland, was arrested Wednesday in the death of Brooklyn Michael Lynn, 33, of Southeast, on Good Hope Road near Naylor Road.

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The incident started with a crash at about 2:45 p.m., police said. Someone was turning out of a parking lot, crossing the eastbound lanes of Good Hope Road and trying to turn left into the westbound lanes, when they and Williams, who was driving eastbound, collided, police said.

After the crash, Lynn came to the scene and got into an argument with Williams, who allegedly shot him. Court documents say that Williams and a witness claimed that Lynn either opened the door or reached in through the window and punched Williams several times before Williams shot him.

Video from a security camera showed Lynn opened Williams’ door once before being pulled away, then heading back toward Williams’ car, the court document said. The second time, Williams opened the door himself and fired as Lynn stood between the door and the A pillar of Williams’ car. The video doesn’t show Lynn punching Williams, the court documents said.

Williams was arrested at the scene. Police found a gun there, and said Williams didn’t have a license to carry one in the District.

The police said Thursday morning that Williams was charged with second-degree murder; as of his court appearance in the afternoon, however, he has only been charged with carrying a gun without a license. He was ordered released with a GPS monitor.

草莓传媒’s Mike Murillo contributed to this report.

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The D.C. police said the four used a crowbar to force their way through the front door of the house on Bay Street in Southeast, near the Stadium-Armory Metro station, at about 6 a.m. Wednesday. Three of them had guns.

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There were five people in the house at the time. The burglars told them they were with the FBI and stole phones, a Rolex watch, two safes and $3,300 in cash, and drove off in a silver Audi Q3 SUV that belonged to someone in the house.

Police said there is evidence that one woman was tied up; the other four people said they were bound as well.

It鈥檚 not known whether the burglars and victims knew each other, the police said; there were no serious injuries.

草莓传媒鈥檚 Megan Cloherty contributed to this report.

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Former superintendent Scott Ziegler has been charged with one count of misdemeanor false publication, one count of misdemeanor prohibited conduct and one count of misdemeanor penalizing an employee for a court appearance, the office of Attorney General Jason Miyares said in a statement Monday; spokesman Wayde Byard has been indicted on one count of felony perjury.

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Ziegler was fired last week, after the special grand jury issued a report about the school system’s handling of two sexual assaults by the same student in 2021.

The school system said in a statement that Byard was placed on leave Monday afternoon.

The indictments were ordered unsealed Monday by a judge, Miyares’ office said; the indictments themselves date from months ago.

The first indictment against Ziegler charges that he “did knowingly and willfully state, deliver or transmit by any means whatever to any publisher, or employee of a publisher, of any newspaper, magazine, or other publication or to any owner, or employee of an owner, of any radio station, television station, news service or cable service, any false and untrue statement, knowing the same to be false or untrue, concerning any person or corporation, with intent that the same shall be published, broadcast or otherwise disseminated.”

It says he made the statement June 22, 2021. That’s the day of the Loudoun County School Board meeting that a raucous discussion of the sexual assaults made nationwide headlines. The special grand jury report said a witness testified that Ziegler told 鈥渁 bald-faced lie鈥� when he said at the meeting 鈥渢o my knowledge we don鈥檛 have any record of assaults happening in our bathrooms鈥� a month after such an assault had just happened.

Ziegler said shortly after the meeting that his remarks applied specifically to accusations of assaults by people who were in those bathrooms thanks to the school system’s transgender policy.

The second and third indictments against Ziegler date from Sept. 28 of this year, and charge that Ziegler retaliated against Erin Brooks “for expressing views on matters of public concern” and for making a court appearance.

Brooks was one of two special education teachers who sued the school board in June. Brooks claimed she was retaliated against when her contract wasn’t renewed after she complained that a student had repeatedly sexually assaulted her.

The school system said the student was a nonverbal elementary school student with significant intellectual disabilities, whose actions were being mischaracterized; the school system鈥檚 statement said the teachers improperly shared students鈥� records, an accusation Brooks and the other teacher denied.

Byard is accused of lying under oath Aug. 2.

Miyares鈥� spokeswoman, Victoria LaCivita, told 草莓传媒 the special grand jury has not been discharged yet.

Ziegler and Byard are scheduled to appear in court Tuesday.

In a statement Tuesday, Ziegler called the grand jury process “Attorney General-controlled, secret, and one-sided,” called the accusations “false and irresponsible” and a product of “partisan forces” in Loudoun County “which have divided our community.” He added that he “will vigorously defend myself.”

The assaults

The grand jury was commissioned by Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares after he and Gov. Glenn Youngkin took office at the start of the year. Both criticized the school system during their election campaigns.

After the first assault occurred in a girls鈥� bathroom stall at Stone Bridge in May 2021, the student was charged in juvenile court and barred by court order from returning to Stone Bridge, according to the grand jury report.

Administrators then transferred him to nearby Broad Run High School, where the second assault occurred in October 2021. He was convicted in juvenile court of both assaults.

The report says teachers at both schools warned administrators of the student鈥檚 disturbing conduct weeks before each assault occurred. Even the student鈥檚 grandmother spoke up and warned the student鈥檚 probation officer, referring to her grandchild as a 鈥渟ociopath,鈥� according to the report.

Parents’ reaction

The parents of the sexual assault victim at Broad Run High School expressed their frustration on how much they’ve had to deal with the traumatic situation.

“One thing we feel is important to note is that over the last 14 months since our daughter was assaulted, not one member of the school board, LCPS administration, or even our local high school leadership has reached out to check on how she is doing, lend any type of support or even apologize for what we are going through as a family. That alone speaks volumes to what we have endured throughout this ordeal,” they said in a statement.

“Parents need to feel that they can send their kids to a safe learning environment. This County has great residents and we need our elected and public servants to represent and show that greatness as well.”

Patrick M. Regan, who represents the victim, issued a statement on the grand jury report.

鈥淢y client is a minor and a victim of sexual assault,” Regan said. “The victim鈥檚 family and
I have vowed to work tirelessly toward getting justice for their daughter.鈥�

草莓传媒’s Neal Augenstein and Jack Moore, and The Associated Press, contributed to this report.

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Scott Asalone, 65, a former priest at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church, faces a sentence of up to 10 years, the office of Virginia Attorney General Miyares said in a statement. Sentencing is scheduled for April.

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Asalone had entered an Alford plea to felony carnal knowledge of a minor between 13 and 15 years of age, Miyares鈥� office said. An Alford plea means that the defendant doesn鈥檛 admit guilt but agrees that the prosecutors have enough evidence that he would likely be convicted.

Asalone was arrested in March 2020 and has been on bond. He was living Asbury Park, New Jersey, at the time. He was removed from public duties in 1993 and dismissed from the Order of Capuchin Friars in 2007.

Monday the Catholic Diocese of Arlington said that his removal immediately followed a reported sexual assault in 1993, according to a press release. Asalone was added to the diocese’s list of priests who have credible sexual assault allegations.

“I am grateful to the attorney general for prosecuting this case and am gratified that some measure of justice has been rendered,” Bishop Michael F. Burbidge said. “Our Diocese has a zero-tolerance policy for sexual abuse of a minor and no priest with a credible allegation of sexual abuse of a minor is serving in our Diocese.”

The diocese encouraged other victims to reach out to officers and contact the Victim Assistance Coordinator for the diocese at 703-841-2530 to report any issues.

‘It really is good to talk about it’

His victim was former D.C. Council member David Grosso, who told in 2020 that the investigation played a major role in his decision not to seek reelection.

Grosso told 草莓传媒 that the verdict was the result of a plea deal that was reached just before jury selection was about to begin Monday.

He said he was relieved that a trial was avoided. 鈥淚 was the number one witness,鈥� Grosso said, 鈥渁nd I was preparing to be really cross-examined pretty extensively by the defense attorney.鈥�

Grosso said Monday was the first time he鈥檚 seen Asalone since 1987, and going into and out of the courthouse was the hardest part.

鈥淚t was one of those weird situations where you kind of enter a position in life where you just never wanted to find yourself again. And I didn’t mind as much in the courtroom, but it was just running into him while we were leaving and while we were going in — I guess that’s just what America is all about, right? But it’s still it was hard. It was definitely hard.鈥�

Grosso added that he had been keeping tabs on Asalone over the internet for years, 鈥渁nd a couple of times I noticed he was saying he was working with youth groups in New Jersey, and I contacted those myself and said, 鈥榊ou guys need to be very careful. This guy is incredibly dangerous around youth.鈥� And I don’t know whether or not they listened to me or not.鈥�

Grosso said he first told family and close friends about the abuse when he came out at age 22, and that he wished he had gone to the police immediately 鈥渁nd gotten it all over with then, because it’s kind of just dragged on for a long time. And then this case alone was four years.鈥�

While it鈥檚 been hard to talk about it repeatedly, Grosso said, 鈥淚t really is good to talk about it. And it’s good to get out in front of it if you can.鈥�

鈥淓very victim deserves to be heard,鈥� Miyares said in the statement. 鈥淢y office is dedicated to investigating and prosecuting those who prey on children to the fullest extent of the law. Virginia has no tolerance for child molesters. I encourage anyone who has been a victim of clergy abuse to contact the Virginia State Police, as it鈥檚 never too late to fight for justice.鈥�

鈥淚 just think more of us need to realize that there is an opportunity for justice out there,鈥� Grosso said. 鈥淎nd if you don’t say something, nobody knows.鈥�

草莓传媒’s Megan Cloherty contributed to this report.

Source

鈥淚’m sick and tired of gun violence,鈥� Metro GM Randy Clarke told 草莓传媒’s news partner NBC Washington Thursday afternoon. 鈥淚 know the mayor鈥檚 sick and tired of it; a bunch of other people are speaking out.鈥�

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Clarke spoke after an off-duty FBI agent shot and killed a man at about 6:30 p.m. Wednesday inside the Metro Center station, and three people were shot, including two teenagers, at the Benning Road station at about 9 a.m. Thursday.

The general manager said the problem in Metro is simply a problem in society.

鈥淚 don’t think this is being political in nature: We have a gun problem in America,鈥� Clarke said. 鈥淎nd that’s not Metro鈥檚 problem; we are impacted by that.鈥�

Clarke praised the train operator who 鈥渟ped through [the Metro Center] station after she got word鈥� about the shooting, 鈥渁nd kept people out of danger. We have great people here protecting people every day.鈥� He added that the automated control system Metro is pushing to return to service would include an override for a human operator to pull the same move if necessary.

He emphasized that the chance of 鈥渁ctually having an incident on Metro — it’s incredibly, incredibly small. We are arguably the safest part of the whole region, and we’re working to get safer every day.鈥� If you stayed away from anywhere that there was a chance of being shot, he said, 鈥淸By] that logic you would never go to the movie theater or the grocery store, a school or anything else.鈥�

Clarke added that while it might seem a larger police presence would help, there鈥檚 been a 25% increase in Metro Transit Police patrols since he took over as GM. He said he rode through the Metro Center station about two minutes before Wednesday night鈥檚 shooting, and 鈥淚 interacted with six police officers on my rail trip last night. 鈥� I cannot and will not have enough police where every human being sees police on every bus and train — that is impossible. That’s not how our world works. But we have an enormous amount of police presence out there.鈥�

There鈥檚 a limit to what the police can do, he said: 鈥淲e could have half of this room be police officers. Everywhere you go [there] can be a police officer. That’s not the world we live in. We are a democracy, right, wrong or indifferent. We have interpretations of gun laws that have created where we’re at.”

鈥淎nd I’m tired of it.鈥�

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Students are currently in the auditorium being fed, schools CEO Monica Goldson said. Those whose parents have arrived at the school will be released to their parents; the rest will be dismissed at the regular time.

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The teenager was shot in an altercation that broke out among a group near the football stadium at the school, in the 5200 block of Silver Hill Road, around 10 a.m., Police Chief Malik Aziz said Thursday afternoon.

He said the victim has been taken to a hospital and is in what he described as stable condition.

Aziz and county officials praised students who gave the police information that led to the arrest.

鈥淲e have a lot of young people who understand right from wrong,” said State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy, “and they are cooperating with this investigation.鈥�

“The incident was witnessed by a large group of students who then ran into the school after multiple shots were fired,” .

At approximately 10:00 a.m. a shooting occurred outside of Suitland High School. This was an isolated incident. There is no threat to the community. For the safety of all students and staff, the school remains on lockdown. Updates will be provided as available.

鈥� PGCPS (@pgcps)

Aziz said police were still investigating whether anyone else was involved with the shooting.

The school system said anyone with more information to share should call 1-866-411-TIPS or speak with a trusted adult.

Two students were arrested and charged with bringing guns to Suitland High School on the first day of classes, in August.

County Executive Angela Alsobrooks also complimented the students who helped investigators, and said 鈥淭he best weapon we have against a situation like this one 鈥� [is] our families and our community leaders.鈥�

She advised parents, 鈥淪it your children at the table and ask them what鈥檚 going on.鈥�

Source

On Tuesday, weeks before his departure date, Fauci was asked 草莓传媒鈥檚 podcast whether that was the case, and replied, 鈥淲ell, we鈥檙e not exactly where I would like to be, but we are certainly much, much better off than we were.鈥�

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Fauci pointed out that a year ago, the omicron variant of the coronavirus was at full speed, with 800,000 to 900,000 cases, and between 3,000 and 4,000 deaths, per day. Now, daily deaths are around 300 nationwide.

鈥淚t still is not at the point where I’m entirely comfortable with it,鈥� Fauci said. The virus will never be eliminated, he added, but 鈥淲e need to get down to a much, much lower level, if we are going to be able to truly feel that we are living with the virus.鈥�

Getting the shots

That means vaccination, the doctor said, and the current numbers 鈥� 68% of the population has had two shots, and fewer than 20% have gotten the bivalent booster 鈥� add up to 鈥渙ne of the frustrating elements of all of this.鈥�

While the booster numbers for elderly people are better, he still called the overall level 鈥渧ery, very bad鈥� 鈥� especially with the winter season of staying indoors approaching and other viruses such as RSV and influenza peaking.

鈥淲e should not claim victory yet. And it doesn’t mean we have to disrupt society 鈥� that doesn’t mean we’re locking anything down, right? We’re not doing that. But 鈥� we have a lot of things going on that we have to pay attention to, and we have to utilize the countermeasures like vaccines for influenza, and vaccines and therapies for COVID.鈥�

While test results and surveys of mental health professionals are beginning to detail the tremendous learning loss and psychological effects of the pandemic on American children, Fauci said it鈥檚 important to remember what we were up against in 2020 as well as looking through the lens of today鈥檚 situation with vaccines and antivirals.

鈥淭here are always collateral negative impacts when you do something as difficult as shutting down temporarily. I have always been of the mindset 鈥� and I’ve been very vocal about it, you can go back and check all of my interviews 鈥� that we’ve got to do whatever we can to keep the children in school, but keep them safe in school, by vaccinating the people who are around them, by giving good ventilation.鈥�

He added that the pandemic had greatly exacerbated mental health problems that had already existed, and that the greater attention being paid to the issue, if backed up by real resources, could become 鈥渁 silver lining in all the difficulties that we’ve been through.鈥�

Divisiveness and threats

A lot of the obstacles to cutting COVID down to size have been political: It鈥檚 been documented that so-called 鈥渞ed states鈥� have lower vaccination rates and higher death rates, dragging down the numbers for the rest of the country. Fauci expressed his frustration with that divide, and pointed out that it predated the pandemic.

鈥淵ou have divisiveness in our country that has been fueled by so many things that are going on,鈥� he said. 鈥淧olitical divisiveness has been one of the enemies of good public health practices. We should be all focusing on the common enemy. And the common enemy is the virus, not each other.鈥�

Political differences, the doctor said, are healthy. 鈥淚t makes for a diverse approach toward different issues 鈥� if done in a way that’s cooperative, collaborative and compromising. That doesn’t seem to be the situation we’re in right now. 鈥�

鈥淓verybody is susceptible to this illness. And you shouldn’t have people who, because of one persuasion, feel they don’t want to make use of a highly effective intervention.鈥�

That divisiveness has of course led to threats against Fauci and other public health officials, nationwide and in the D.C. area, and Fauci called that 鈥渦nconscionable.鈥�

He added, 鈥淭hat doesn’t make any explainable sense. Why would you want to harass people who are doing everything they can to safeguard you and save your life? But that’s what’s going on.鈥�

Fauci is also facing threats from Republicans in the incoming House majority who say they鈥檒l be investigating him over the pandemic response. 鈥淚t’s not pleasant,鈥� he said, 鈥渂ut I don’t let it deter me from doing my job. 鈥� That other stuff is unfortunate noise that I try not to pay attention to.鈥�

Asked whether he had a message for his detractors, he replied, 鈥淣o.鈥�

‘Life goes on’

It may seem like those kind of pressures weighed into his decision to leave the National Institutes of Health, but Fauci said he made his decision for his own reasons.

Fauci pointed out that he turns 82 years old in three weeks. 鈥淢y decision was based on the fact that I know that I have a few years left, I believe, of being energetic, I hope healthy, and passionate about what I’m doing. And I want to be able to do some things outside of the confines of the federal government. 鈥� We’re in a better place than we were a year ago. We’re going in the right direction.鈥�

It鈥檒l be bittersweet, said Fauci, who has been director since 1984 and been with the NIH for 54 years. 鈥淚 mean, I’ve been driving onto this beautiful campus in Bethesda, Maryland, every day, almost every Saturday and many Sundays, for the last 54 years. Of course, it’s gonna seem strange to all of a sudden not do that anymore. But life goes on.鈥�

He couldn鈥檛 say what comes next 鈥� 鈥淵ou really can’t be negotiating your outside activity while you’re still working in the federal government鈥� 鈥� but had advice for his successor.

鈥淚t’s what we all should do in this position: Stick with the science; stick with the data; stick with the evidence; stay out of politics completely. I’ve done this for 54 years, and still nobody has any idea what my political affiliation or ideology is, because I have none.鈥�

While he may be a controversial figure in other parts of the country, Fauci has generally been well admired in the D.C. area, where some lawn signs thank him by name. Fauci said he鈥檚 noticed.

鈥淭hank you very much for your support,鈥� he said, addressing the D.C. area. 鈥溾�� It’s very gratifying when people are very explicit about thanking me and my colleagues for what we’re doing. So it’s a thank you back to them.鈥�

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The grand jury issued no indictments in its report Monday, and said there was no 鈥渃oordinated coverup鈥� between the school system and members of the school board. Indeed, they said, the board was kept in the dark about the reaction to the first assault, and only found out that the same student committed both assaults from media reports.

But the report says 鈥渁dherence to operating in silos鈥� by school administrators and 鈥渁 breakdown of communication鈥� that included the Loudoun County Sheriff鈥檚 Office, Court Services Unit and commonwealth鈥檚 attorney鈥檚 office, led to the second assault in October 2021 at Broad Run High School. It happened after multiple people, including the assailant鈥檚 own mother and grandmother, warned law enforcement about him.

Perhaps the harshest criticisms in the report are reserved for Superintendent Scott Ziegler, who, the report says, made a false statement about sexual assaults at a school board meeting and signed off on an email to the Stone Bridge High School community the day of the first sexual assault that didn鈥檛 mention the incident.

鈥淭hey failed at every juncture,鈥� the report said of school system officials.

Attorney General Jason Miyares, who impaneled the grand jury, told 草莓传媒, 鈥淭he grand jury report showed multiple instances where the Loudoun County public school administrators dropped the ball.鈥� He added that he hoped the report served as 鈥渁 warning to every single school board in the Commonwealth鈥� as an example of 鈥渨hat not to do鈥� in a similar situation.

鈥淭he lack of accountability and the lack of transparency 鈥� was absolutely galling,” he said.

He added that, although no one has been indicted yet, the grand jury is still sitting, “and our office is considering all options.”

School Board Chair Jeff Morse and Vice Chair Ian Serotkin said in a statement that they are聽 鈥減leased that the Special Grand Jury鈥檚 extensive investigation found no evidence of criminal conduct on the part of anyone within LCPS.鈥�

Commonwealth’s Attorney Buta Biberaj said in a statement, “The lesson that we should take away is that we can鈥檛 continue to operate in silos when the safety of our children, or anyone in the community, is at stake.”

She added, “We stand ready and willing to work with our community partners to establish a ‘formalized protocol emphasizing better communication,’ as recommended by the Grand Jury.”

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They cited a January news release from Miyares saying that the school system 鈥渃overed up a sexual assault on school grounds for political gain,鈥� and noted that the report concluded there was none.

They added that criticisms of school employees and policies were 鈥渟erious鈥� and would be discussed at the board鈥檚 next meeting.

The first assault

The report details that there was concern about the student before the first assault, which happened May 28, 2021. A teacher鈥檚 assistant at Stone Bridge High School emailed another teacher and her department head on May 12, saying the student has a problem with 鈥渒eeping his hands to himself鈥� and added, 鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 want to be held accountable if someone should get hurt.鈥�

One of the recipients testified that she didn鈥檛 follow up because she didn鈥檛 鈥渨ant to invade the student鈥檚 privacy.鈥�

At noon on May 28, the two students met in a handicapped-accessible stall in the girls鈥� bathroom, and the boy, who was 15 at the time, sexually assaulted her.

The report says school officials knew about the assault, and that the assailant was 鈥渕issing.鈥� He was found an hour later while leaving the school at regular dismissal.

鈥淲e are dismayed at the lack of concern regarding the assailant being at-large in the school for over three hours and believe the school should have been locked down to find the individual,鈥� the grand jury said in the report.

Later that day, Ziegler, who was interim superintendent at the time, met with other system staff. The report said that no one questioned about the meeting could recall what was discussed.

鈥淲e believe there was intentional institutional amnesia regarding this meeting,鈥� the report said.

A couple of hours after the assault, the girl鈥檚 father came to the school and was eventually escorted out after trying to get into the school to see his daughter, who was with her mother, the report said.

Later that afternoon, two very different emails were sent out regarding the incident, the report said.

At 4:10 p.m., Ziegler emailed the school board, mentioning the sexual assault a well as the ejection of the girl鈥檚 father, who 鈥渃aused a disruption.鈥�

At 4:46, Stone Bridge Principal Tim Flynn emailed the school community about the incident regarding the student’s father, but did not mention the sexual assault. The email was approved by Ziegler, among others, the report said.

That was the Friday before Memorial Day weekend. That Tuesday, June 2, Stone Bridge High School decided, in the absence of a formal school system policy, to temporarily allow the assailant to come back to school, but kept him separated from the victim. The report said the assailant deleted conversations from the Discord discussion app that could have been used as evidence.

The June school board meeting

The Loudoun County School Board meeting of June 22, 2021, made national headlines, particularly because of the arrest and removal of the father of the girl who was sexually assaulted.

The report says that the arrest was the result of 鈥渁 personal altercation,鈥� and not 鈥渄irectly related鈥� to the school board鈥檚 actions at the meeting. It does, however, say that as a result of the meeting, 鈥渢he calculus changed鈥� on the question of arresting the boy.

While the Sheriff鈥檚 Office told school officials that the sexual assault allegations were a 鈥渟haky case,鈥� he was arrested in early July.

The communication between the school system and the Loudoun County Sheriff鈥檚 Office broke down at this point, the report says: The Sheriff鈥檚 Office notified the school system about the charges, but the school system said it never received the report.

The grand jury found that rather than call or email the superintendent鈥檚 office with the report, the Sheriff鈥檚 Office sent it via an inter-office envelope, addressed to someone who hadn鈥檛 worked in the superintendent鈥檚 office for seven years.

鈥淚t is unclear what happened to the envelope,鈥� the report said.

Ziegler said later during that meeting that 鈥渢o my knowledge we don鈥檛 have any record of assaults happening in our bathrooms.鈥� One witness called that 鈥渁 bald-faced lie.鈥�

A board member emailed the superintendent, and in a second email copied the school board, asking for updates on the case. The superintendent said 鈥淚 am unable to provide an update,鈥� citing the law enforcement investigation.

The assaults received outsize attention because the student who was convicted in both attacks is a biological male who wore a skirt in one of the attacks, playing into a national debate over how schools should treat transgender students and whether they should be allowed to use restrooms different than their biological sex.

The report also accuses school administrators and lawyers of stonewalling the special grand jury’s investigation. The report notes that school board members went out of their way in testimony to describe the assailant’s attire as a kilt rather than a skirt, something the report suggests was a coordinated effort by the school system’s legal team to push a coordinated narrative about what occurred.

Red flags

From there, more warning signs piled up: The assailant was in custody for 14 days, and his probation officer reported that he 鈥渉as adjusted a little too easily to this experience and doesn鈥檛 appear to have any real concerns at the moment.鈥�

Later that month, the assailant was released to his grandmother while his mother was away. After that time, she called his probation officer and called her grandson a 鈥渟ociopath鈥� who 鈥渄oes not care about consequences.鈥�

The assailant鈥檚 mother also told that probation officer that she had 鈥渂een begging for help from the schools for a year,鈥� but that the school system had discounted 鈥渕y approach and recommendations with respect to his reasoning and actions.鈥�

After the May incident, she said the principal at Stone Bridge told her, 鈥淣ow we are listening.鈥�

She added, 鈥淚 strongly encourage us not to wait until another escalation in events before buckling down or else he will be another statistic in the adult circuit instead of exploring the greater potential he holds.鈥�

The student was transferred to Broad Run High School; the report calls the transfer 鈥渉aphazard鈥� and says the student wasn鈥檛 even able to begin attending classes until several days later. The principal knew of the allegations but didn鈥檛 look at the student鈥檚 disciplinary file, the report said.

On Sept. 9, an English teacher reported to the principal that girls in the class were uncomfortable because the student was following them. Separately, he asked multiple students about posting nude photos online, according to the report.

The only punishment was an admonishment and requiring him to 鈥渨rite on a piece of paper that he would not commit such conduct again,鈥� the report said. Multiple school system officials knew that the student was the assailant in the May incident, but 鈥渘ot a single person with knowledge of the student鈥檚 history or of this current action stepped in to do anything,” the report said.

On Oct. 6, the student pulled a girl into an empty classroom and sexually assaulted her. He鈥檚 since been convicted, and ordered to attend a locked residential treatment facility until he turns 18.

‘The culture needs to change’

The school system commissioned an independent review of the situation, and on Jan. 14 of this year announced policy changes, but would not release the review itself.

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin issued an executive order on his first day in office in January requesting an investigation of the school system’s conduct in connection with the assaults. The school system sought to quash the investigation, calling it politically motivated. But the Virginia Supreme Court ruled earlier this year it could move forward.

The grand jury offered recommendations, including better communication between the school system and the community about such incidents, as well as changes to the transfer process, especially when law enforcement is involved, and taking complaints from faculty and staff more seriously.

鈥淎lthough LCPS has taken positive steps forward resulting from the sexual assaults last year,鈥� the report concludes, 鈥溾�� we have learned LCPS as an organization tends to avoid managing difficult situations by not addressing them fully. Whether intended or not, this practice conveys to the public a sense of apathy.鈥�

The report calls for 鈥渟tronger leadership鈥� and says, 鈥淭he culture needs to change.鈥�

草莓传媒’s Neal Augenstein and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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