It was a packed, in-person meeting on Tuesday, with 259 members of the public signed up to speak, mostly about a proposed Loudoun County Public Schools policy on the rights of transgender and gender-expansive students. After about an hour of raucous testimony, the county’s school board voted unanimously to end the public comment session. Board members have said they received threats and an altercation in the board room lead to one arrest and one person being cited for trespassing.

At issue was Policy 8040, which would require LCPS staff to use students’ pronouns and guarantee transgender students access to restrooms and locker rooms that correspond to their gender identity.

“All students shall be treated with dignity and respect, regardless of their sex, sexual orientation, transgender status, or gender identity/expression,” reads a draft of the policy.

Things at the meeting — which was recorded and posted online — started out civilly, with a stern warning from Board Chair Brenda Sheridan that she would end speakers’ time early for any breaches of decorum.

Many parents and other community members spoke in support of transgender students and the policy. Christina Croll was first to testify: “You’re going to hear a lot of voices tonight. A few are likely to be very loud. Remember that the quiet majority of people out there in the community support you and stand by you in wanting to protect children from harm,” Croll said. “This policy hurts no one and helps some of our most at-risk kids to simply feel welcome in their schools.”

The new policy on transgender rights is required under a law passed by the Virginia General Assembly last year. Local school boards in the state must have policies in place protecting transgender students by the start of the 2021/2022 school year.

The meeting was briefly paused when the crowd erupted while the mother of a transgender student was speaking. Sheridan issued several more warnings, threatening to shut down public comment.

Sheridan made good on the threat after the 51st speaker, Dick Black. Black, a former state senator from Loudoun County who is known as one of the most conservative lawmakers in Virginia and a foe of LGBTQ+ rights, rose to speak against the policy.

“It’s absurd and immoral for teachers to call boys girls and girls boys. You’re making teachers lie to students and even kids know that it’s wrong,” Black said.

“I am disgusted by your bigotry and your depravity,” Black shouted, as his allotted time ran out and his microphone was turned off.

As Black continued to shout off-mic, Board Member Atoosa Reaser moved to end public comment early. All nine members voted with her, as audience members yelled, “Recall the board.”

Some attendees also voiced opposition to critical race theory, a growing flashpoint in education around the country. Critical race theory refers to an academic concept that defines racism as a construct embedded into American institutions. Just last week, a Republican senator from Wisconsin introduced a bill that would ban critical race theory in D.C. public schools. Many conservatives, including Black, say critical race theory is divisive, pitting people against one another based on race.

“You’re teaching children to hate others because of their skin color,” he said, per video of the meeting.

LCPS has faced allegations from the commonwealth and its NAACP branch of systemic racism for years; most recently, the school system agreed to several reforms, including to its policy on discrimination and revising its admissions and recruitment policy.

Board Chair Brenda Sheridan said at the meeting that comments about critical race theory were irrelevant. “Critical race theory is not being taught in our schools, period.”

As the session ended, members of the crowd lingered in the room. Many held up signs reading, “We the parents stand up!” One man captured on video standing front and center in the audience held up both middle fingers toward board members as they left the dais.

After the board meeting went into recess, an altercation broke out in the room, according to Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Kraig Troxell.

“One individual physically threatened another attendee,” Troxell wrote in an email to DCist. “A deputy intervened and the subject continued to be disorderly with the deputy. LCSO Deputies attempted to take him into custody and he physically resisted.”

The man was arrested and transported to the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center, according to Troxell. He has since been released.

Still, others in the crowd refused to leave. Loudoun County Public Schools Superintendent Scott Ziegler declared the gathering an unlawful assembly and advised people to leave or risk trespassing charges.

One man still refused to leave. “He was escorted outside and released on a summons for trespassing by order of Loudoun County Public School Officials,” Troxell says.

The school board reconvened later in the evening, and at the end Board Chair Brenda Sheridan spoke about the incident. “I do not believe I can let the disruption that occurred in our board room tonight go unanswered,” Sheridan said, noting that it occurred during Pride Month.

“I am proud of all of our students and I stand with them, and I am proud of our board members – some of whom continue to receive death threats, and some of whom received threats tonight.”

“I’m deeply concerned about the rise in hateful messages and violent threats aimed at progressive members of the school board,” Sheridan went on. These threats, she said, included graphic email and voicemail messages.

“We will not back down from fighting for the rights of our students and continuing our focus on equity. We will continue to work towards making Virginia, specifically Loudoun, the best place to raise a family. We will continue to move Virginia forward.”

Board members contacted by DCist did not respond to requests for comment.