Virginia school district defends policy that enabled sex offender to use girls' locker room
A Virginia school superintendent whose district bathroom policies allowed a registered sex offender access to women's locker rooms says the district will "continue to foster an inclusive community," drawing the ire of a national parents group.
Dr. Francisco Duran, the superintendent of Arlington Public Schools (APS) in Arlington, Virginia, has garnered public backlash over his response to the arrest of Richard K. Cox. The 58-year-old registered sex offender was arrested on Dec. 6 at the Barcroft Sports & Fitness Center, a community facility with shared but separate school entrances and exits.
The school district's policy allowing people to choose which bathrooms and locker rooms they use based on gender identity enabled Cox to use the girls' locker room at Washington Liberty High School.
Officers learned that Cox — who has a long history of charges dating back to October 2024, including 12 counts of loitering near a school, daycare, park or playground as a registered sex offender — entered the women's locker room at the location and provided false identification.
In a Jan. 23 statement, the Arlington GOP alleged APS ignored multiple warnings from several women about Cox's behavior. At one point, Helena Machado, director of aquatics management for Arlington Public Schools, allegedly instructed the women to use a family changing room instead of asking Cox, a bearded male, to do so.
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Machado has her "preferred pronouns" indicated on her public LinkedIn page.
In response to Cox's arrest, Duran defended APS policies in a statement sent to school families and pool patrons, emphasizing the district's commitment to inclusivity. After assuring parents that "the incidents did not occur during school hours," Duran said Cox was banned and taken into custody.
Duran, however, gave no indication of any changes to the facility's locker room policy but said that they will "continue to review and adjust our security protocols for signing in and work with our government partners across the county to prevent incidents like this from occurring again."
"Arlington Public Schools will continue to foster an inclusive community for all, including those who identify as members of the [LGBT] community," he said. "Our facilities are designed to be safe, welcoming spaces where our community can come to connect, engage and focus on their health and well-being."
The school district's handling of Cox's case has drawn criticism from groups like United States Parents Involved in Education (USPIE), a parental rights advocacy group.
This month, USPIE awarded Duran its "Millstone of the Month" award, given to officials accused of failing to protect children in schools.
Sheri Few, president of USPIE, called APS's actions "a perfect example of how 'woke' government school officials value perverse agendas and virtue signaling over protecting girls and women."
Few said Duran's actions show he and his administration prioritize "sexual confusion" over student safety.
"It's obvious that the people pushing transgenderism in government schools couldn't care less about what it's doing to women and girls in sports facilities," Few said. "They care only about sowing sexual confusion. Mr. Duran richly deserves our Millstone Award."
The "Millstone" award — which derives its name from Matthew 18:6 — is part of UPSIE's mission to "close the US Department of Education" and remind elected officials that "parental rights come from God, not the government," according to the group's website.
One local mother told WJLA that women had seen Cox use the locker room since June 2024. Although the mother raised concerns about Cox's use of the facility with school district officials in September, she says he continued using the facility without issue until his arrest in late October.
Several residents spoke out against the policy during a Jan. 30 school board meeting in late January, including Mariah Burton Nelson, a registered Democrat and lesbian who believes "girls and women are being overlooked in APS."
"I'm here to ask you to restrict women's locker rooms to women and girls," Burton Nelson was quoted as saying. "Of course, we need protection from sex offenders. We also need protection from all males. Currently, APS policy allows boys and men access to women's locker rooms if they are transgender."
"Efforts to protect the safety of students and community covering intimate body areas is not practical or sufficient," added Burton Nelson. "Girls and women are not safe in the presence of any naked men. That's why we have two separate locker rooms. Why should male desires to be affirmed as women take precedence over the privacy and safety of actual women?"
Despite supporting a policy that allowed users of the facility to decide which locker room to use, Duran said during a Jan. 30 school board meeting that the district will not allow immigration officials to "enter schools or remove students without following proper legal protocols" as the Trump administration continues to ramp its mass deportation efforts.
"Like many in our community, I am increasingly concerned about new immigration enforcement efforts taking place across the country," Duran said. "I want our students, staff, and families to know that we take the safety and well-being of each member of our community seriously. We are committed to maintaining safe, supportive, and welcoming school environments for all."
