LCPS lead attorney leaving school division | News
Loudoun County Public Schools’ lead attorney, who was criticized for his legal advice and tactics after the 2021 student-on-student sexual assaults, is taking a job as Alexandria City Public Schools’ division counsel.
Robert Falconi, Loudoun County Public Schools division counsel
Robert Falconi’s last day with LCPS is Sept. 15, LCPS spokesman Daniel Adams said in an Aug. 28 email. Falconi, who earns $224,000 annually, was hired in August of 2021.
Falconi didn’t reply to an email seeking comment on the reasons for his departure. It was first reported by WJLA-TV.
The first sexual assault occurred in May 2021 at Stone Bridge High School. The second occurred in October 2021 at Broad Run High School after a Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court judge ordered the assailant transferred there. A special grand jury, impaneled on the order of Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin, concluded the second assault was preventable. A December report by the grand jury said the Loudoun County School Board hadn’t engaged in a “coordinated cover-up,” but it faulted LCPS, county Commonwealth’s Attorneys Office, the Juvenile Court Services Unit, and the Sheriff’s Office.
The report also eviscerated Falconi, calling his tactics during grand juries hearings “obstructionist” and saying he frequently interrupted witnesses “when he felt certain information was about to be revealed.” Some parents and conservative activists have urged the School Board to fire Falconi, especially because he advised the board not to make public a board-commissioned independent review of the response to the sexual assaults. The board’s 6-3 vote in February not to release the review’s findings — the board’s majority cited “attorney-client privilege” — triggered bipartisan criticism.
Suzanne Satterfield, Abbie Platt and Jessica Smith hold signs at a recent Loudoun County School Board meeting urging the board to fire Robert Falconi, division counsel for Loudoun County Public Schools. Falconi is leaving LCPS on Sept. 15 to become the division counsel for Alexandria City Public Schools.
The report said Falconi employed “obfuscation, deflection, and obvious legal strategies designed to thwart [the grand jury’s] work.” During grand jury testimony, Falconi repeatedly objected to questions asked to witnesses about previous events at which he was present and used hand signals and other methods to communicate inappropriately with witnesses, according to the report.
The report also said Falconi tried to “exert control and influence over all” LCPS employees and School Board members subpoenaed to testify. He “blew a gasket” when a board member told him they didn’t need legal representation when testifying, the report said.
“We strongly believe these stories coming from the board members is an effort by division counsel to get everybody on the same page to thwart, discredit, and push back against this investigation and this report and to promote their own narrative,” the grand jury said. “Unlike federal law, no Virginia statute expressly addresses witness tampering and the Virginia obstruction of justice statute does not cover this fact pattern. For those reasons, were were unable to consider an indictment against [Falconi].”
Falconi gave board only 30 minutes to read the review, according to the report, which also said some board members were surprised to learn the review was subject to attorney-client privilege.
The grand jury report said the school officials had too often used attorney-client privilege as an excuse to keep communications private. attorney-client privilege should only be invoked only for “legitimate issues of confidentiality,” the report said, and not be used “as a shield that impedes transparency, accountability, and openness, especially when it comes to the operations of a public body.”
attorney-leaving-school-division/article_bad115c6-45e9-11ee-b9ba-d34783227efb.html”>Source link
Attorneys and law firms can elevate their online presence with professionally written content from SEO Content Writing Services monthly plan. Our team of experienced writers specializes in crafting blog posts, articles, and written content that accurately reflect the expertise and knowledge of our clients in the legal field. With a keen eye for detail and a thorough understanding of legal terminology, we provide high-quality writing that helps our clients stand out from their competition and engage with their target audience. Trust SEO Content Writing Services for one time article writing or monthly written content to handle all of your written content needs and showcase your law firm's expertise.
If you need written content, blog posts, or articles professionally written for your website, we can help. Go HERE to find out more.
or email us here: myseowritingservices@gmail.com
To find out more about our article writing or blog post services, fill out the form, thank you.