#LCPS and Dan Adams Continue to Obfuscate and Willfully Prevent the Exposure of Evidence of Administrative Fraud and Collusion with Troxel Leigh P.C.
Dan Adams and LCPS continue to violate my rights as a parent, tax payer of Loudoun County, and investigative blogger, in order to purposefully and willfully prevent the exposure of administrative fraud and tripartite collusion between LCPS, LCSO, and Troxel Leigh P.C. to manufacture legal proceedings against me in order to have my parental rights revoked. These entities continue to obfuscate and prevent me from obtaining information that I have a right to inspect and make public.
| 6:41 PM (55 minutes ago) | |||
| ||||
NOTICE OF FERPA VIOLATION AND DEMAND FOR PRODUCTION
TO: Dan Adams, LCPS FOIA Officer
FROM: Steven Rubis, Investigative Journalist / Parent of Charles Rubis
DATE: January 21, 2026
RE: Deficiency in Public Records Request #R002442-121825 / Immediate FERPA Demand
SENT VIA EMAIL
Mr. Adams,
I am in receipt of the records produced in response to Request #R002442-121825. While I acknowledge the partial production, I am formally contesting the withholding of 21 pages under the claim of attorney-client privilege (Va. Code § 2.2-3705.1(2)) and 5 pages under Superintendent’s working papers (Va. Code § 2.2-3705.7(2)).
I. The Supremacy of FERPA over FOIA Exemptions Pursuant to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), 20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99, as the parent of Charles Rubis, I have a federal right to inspect and review all "education records" maintained by LCPS. Federal law does not recognize a blanket "attorney-client privilege" or "working papers" exemption when those records are used to facilitate administrative, disciplinary, or placement decisions regarding a student.
The records released in this bundle (specifically the Dec 17, 2025, email regarding "reflective writing") confirm that high-level administrators and potentially legal counsel were involved in documenting and managing my son's behavior and IEP implementation. Any correspondence involving these 26 withheld pages that references my son’s education, safety, or the restriction of my parental rights is an Education Record subject to immediate inspection under federal law.
II. Journalistic Standing and Public Interest Further, please note my standing as a representative of the news media broadcasting into the Commonwealth and publisher of nickcottone.blogspot.com. My investigation into administrative malfeasance and the "tripartite collusion" between LCPS and private counsel (Mohler/Troxel Leigh) is a matter of high public interest.
The use of "legal advice" as a shield to withhold coordination between a public school principal and private third-party attorneys regarding a student's safety is an abuse of statutory exemptions. This obstruction prevents the public from seeing how public resources are being utilized to target a whistleblower.
III. Formal Demand I demand that LCPS immediately:
Produce the 26 withheld pages for my inspection under my federal FERPA rights.
Provide a Vaughn Index specifically detailing why each of the 21 pages of "legal advice" does not constitute an "educational record" under the federal definition.
Failure to provide these records within five (5) business days will be documented as a willful violation of FERPA and included in my active federal filings with the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the Family Policy Compliance Office (FPCO).
Sincerely,
Steven Rubis Investigative Publisher, nickcottone.blogspot.com Parent of Charles Rubis
RE: PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST of December 18, 2025, Reference # R002442-121825.
Dear Steven Rubis,
Loudoun County Public Schools received a public information request from you on December 18, 2025 for the following:
“To the LCPS FOIA Officer,
Pursuant to the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (VFOIA) § 2.2-3704 and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), I am requesting an electronic copy of all records, including but not limited to emails, internal memos, text messages, and meeting minutes, related to my son, Charles Rubis, and myself, Steve Rubis.
Specifically, I am requesting all communications involving the following individuals:
Dr. Kate Ridgeway
Nick Cottone
Mara Moreland
Rae Mitchell
Aaron Spence
Shontel Simon
Lisa Boland
The scope of this search should include any communications containing the following keywords or topics from November 1, 2023, to the present:
"Rubis"
"Retaliation" or "Hostile"
"Communication plan" or "Restrict communication"
"HR complaint" or "Termination"
"IEP participation" or "Parental exclusion"
"Moving pieces" (in reference to the Dec 12, 2025 incident)
Please note: As the parent of the student involved, I am entitled to these records under FERPA without the standard FOIA fees associated with "public" requests, as these are educational records pertaining to my child and my parental rights.
I expect a response within five (5) working days as required by Virginia law. If any portion of this request is denied, please cite the specific legal exemption and provide a timeline for the release of the remaining records.
Sincerely,
Steve Rubis [Phone Number]”
Loudoun County Public Schools has reviewed its files and has located records responsive to your request. Please log in to the Public Records Center to retrieve the appropriate responsive documents. In addition, 21 pages contain the written advice of legal counsel and other information protected by attorney-client privilege, withheld pursuant to Va. Code § 2.2-3705.1(2); and 5 pages contain the working papers and correspondence of the Superintendent, and are withheld from disclosure pursuant to Va. Code § 2.2-3705.7(2).
Public Records Request - R002442-121825
If you have any questions, or wish to discuss this further, please contact me at (571)252-1040 or LCPSFOIA@lcps.org.
Sincerely,
Dan Adams
FOIA Officer
Loudoun County Public Schools
Comments
Post a Comment