Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin Pardons Father Who Protested School Board After Daughter’s Sexual Assault

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, R, announced on Sunday he's pardoned a father arrested for protesting at a school board meeting following his daughter's sexual assault at school.

Youngkin announced he'd spoken to the man, Scott Smith, on Friday and told him he will receive a full pardon for his disorderly conduct conviction.

"We righted a wrong. He should have never been prosecuted," Youngkin told Shannon Bream on Fox News Sunday.

The governor called Smith's conviction a "gross miscarriage of justice."

Smith's conviction stems from a 2021 incident at a board of education meeting at Loudoun County Public Schools. The father blasted the school board for the handling of the investigation into his daughter's sexual assault.

Youngkin said on Sunday that Smith was only standing up for his child, adding school officials covered up the actions only to have the accused reoffend at another school.

"Scott Smith is a dedicated parent who’s faced unwarranted charges in his pursuit to protect his daughter," Youngkin wrote in his announcement. "Scott’s commitment to his child despite the immense obstacles is emblematic of the parental empowerment movement that started in Virginia."