Frederick County School Board upholds hearing officer's recommendation in student disciplinary case

The Frederick County School Board on Sept. 3 convened a special meeting at 6 p.m., entered a closed session to consider individual student disciplinary matters under Virginia law, and later voted to uphold a hearing officer's recommendation regarding a student identified in the meeting as "Student A."

The board first adopted the meeting agenda by voice vote after a board member moved to adopt the agenda and a second was recorded. Shortly afterward, a board member moved "that the county school board of Frederick County, Virginia enter a closed session meeting for the following to review and discuss individual student matters that would involve specific students and particular information contained in their scholastic records, including disciplinary matters pursuant to Virginia code section 2.2-3711(a)(2)," a motion that was seconded and approved by voice vote.

The board announced it was in closed session and later reconvened. After returning to open session, a board member moved to certify "that to the best of each board member's knowledge, only public business matters lawfully exempted from open meeting requirements under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act were discussed in the closed session, and any such public business matters as were identified in the motion by which this closed session was convened were heard, discussed, or considered by the school board." The motion to certify was seconded; the chair asked the clerk to call the roll, and the named members recorded affirmative votes. The chair declared the certification motion passed.

Following certification, a board member moved "that the board uphold the hearing officer's recommendation regarding Student A." That motion was seconded, the clerk called the roll, and each named member recorded an "Aye." The chair declared the motion to uphold the hearing officer's recommendation passed.

The meeting concluded with an announcement that the next school board meeting is scheduled for Sept. 23, 2025, at 6 p.m., and the board then adjourned.

The board conducted its closed session under the exemption the board cited (Virginia Code §2.2-3711(a)(2), as read into the record). The transcript does not include details of the hearing officer's recommendation or the disciplinary action taken; those specifics were discussed during closed session and were not disclosed in the meeting record provided.

Roll-call votes recorded during certification and the subsequent vote to uphold the recommendation were recorded by calling each member's name and receiving an affirmative response. The names called during roll were: Miss Caruso; Mr. Bell; Miss Klein; Dr. Erskine; and Mr. Adkins. The meeting record reflects each of those members recorded an "Aye" on the certification and on the motion to uphold the hearing officer's recommendation.