VIRGINIA Father Arrested at Meeting Pardoned The father of a Virginia student sexually assaulted in her high school bathroom has been pardoned after his arrest two years ago protesting a school board meeting became a flashpoint in the conservative push to increase parental involvement in public education. Virginia Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin said on “Fox News Sunday” that he had pardoned Scott Smith of his disorderly-conduct conviction stemming from the June 2021 incident. The episode featured prominently throughout the gubernatorial campaign that year for Youngkin, who has made support for the socalled parents’ rights movement a cornerstone of his political brand. “Scott Smith is a dedicated parent who’s faced unwarranted charges in his pursuit to protect his daughter,” Youngkin said on Sunday. In a statement released Sunday, Smith vowed to pursue legal action against Loudoun County Public Schools and continue fighting “for parents and their children.” The district didn’t respond to a phone call and email requesting a response. A trial was scheduled this fall over Smith’s appeal of the disorderly-conduct conviction. A circuit-court judge had already tossed another charge of obstructing justice. —Associated Press
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