Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) held a closed-door safety exercise that used paid actors to portray disruptive parents in a simulated “terrorist activity” scenario, multiple local outlets reported. The exercise drew criticism after reports linked it in timing and tone to the death of a Stone Bridge High School student.
What Reporters Say Happened
ABC7 reporter Nick Minock posted on X that the district hired about 30 actors to sit in the audience as parents and then erupt into chaotic behavior — screaming, running and shouting — as part of a drill. According to the report, one actor was scripted to be armed, and staff were coached to run, hide and fight if necessary.
A tense Loudoun County Public Schools Board meeting in which parents expressed outrage over the suspension of two high school boys who objected to their being filmed by a transgender-identifying student in the boys' locker room.(Fox News)
Timing And Official Timeline
Local outlets reported the simulation occurred shortly after the death of 20-year-old Calina Yu, who was struck near Stone Bridge High School by an LCPS maintenance vehicle on Jan. 13 and pronounced dead at the scene. LCPS had announced a closed session to "discuss matters of public safety" on Jan. 9; the district says the meeting was held under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (VFOIA) statutory exception that authorizes closed sessions to address security and safety planning.
District Response
LCPS spokesperson: The meeting "was held in accordance with the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (VFOIA)" and "the School Board does not consider parents terrorists." The district said the VFOIA language for permitted topics includes the phrase "terrorist activity" and that references likely mirror that statutory wording.
Why The Drill Drew Criticism
Critics pointed to several elements that amplified concern: one actor was assigned the name "Mr. Smith," which some residents read as a reference to Scott Smith, a Loudoun parent arrested at a 2021 school board meeting and later pardoned by former Governor Glenn Youngkin. Board Chair April Chandler was also reported to have described some protesting parents as "agitators" or "disrupters" in comments linked to anticipated demonstrations in 2025.
A sign advocating for LCPS to end the controversial policy mandating accommodations for transgender-identifying students.
Policy And Legal Context
LCPS implements Policy 8040, "Rights of Transgender and Gender-Expansive Students," enacted in 2021 to govern use of names, pronouns, participation in sports and access to facilities. The Justice Department under the Trump administration has sued the district, alleging LCPS violated constitutional rights of two students suspended after a Title IX harassment investigation tied to a separate transgender locker-room dispute; that litigation is ongoing.
Local Reaction
Board Chair April Chandler expressed condolences after the fatal accident: "I want to express my deepest condolences to the family and the entire school community who are grieving at this time. We grieve with you." The district has said media accounts of the closed session are "misleading and inaccurate," while reporters and some community members say the exercise was tone-deaf, given recent events.
What Comes Next
The district has declined to provide additional specifics about the closed session, citing VFOIA and the confidentiality of security planning. Local coverage suggests the episode will continue to be a focus of community debate as the district balances safety training, transparency, and community trust.
