Staff Reports
In a stunning twist of irony that has parents in Arlington, Virginia, scratching their heads, a registered sex offender managed to waltz into the Barcroft Sports & Fitness Center’s female locker room, reportedly with the claim of identifying as transgender. The alleged antics of Richard Cox, 58, quickly turned from bewildering to downright outrageous, as it was revealed that he had been arrested for indecent exposure not once, but twice, while showcasing his lack of decency in front of adults and children alike.
Cox’s welcome to the women’s locker room came with a side of criminal history, as he was caught on December 2 exposing himself, leading to a crescendo of outrage among locals. One can only wonder how this scenario unfolded without alarm bells ringing in the school district offices. After all, what could possibly go wrong with allowing a registered sex offender to share space with impressionable young women? Apparently, a lot, as evidenced by mounting complaints and a very public fallout during a recent school board meeting.
Parents like Marvin Tubbs are raising red flags not just for the incident itself, but for the appalling responses from Arlington Public Schools. Tubbs demanded accountability, asserting that school leadership could not have been asleep at the wheel when a known sex offender was given permission to roam freely in facilities designed for underage girls. Tubbs, along with others, has expressed disbelief that the initial response seemed to involve putting up signs requesting modesty rather than a swift call to the police.
As if the situation couldn’t get any more ludicrous, Michelle Tubbs, who teaches swimming for the district, pointed out how utterly baffling it is that the first reaction to sexual misconduct was a slapping of signage. One might think school officials had mistaken their role for that of a community bulletin board rather than a protective authority for children under their watch. Parents are left questioning how many more incidents could go unchecked when the policies allow such behavior under the misguided banner of inclusiveness.
Sex Offender Identifying as Woman Charged with Exposing Himself to Girls in Women's Locker Room: One resident said, “There are reports going all the way back to June that people were complaining about this. And then when my friend in September had to… https://t.co/f1vdRXgC1F pic.twitter.com/hc8jO0rVMs
— The Western Journal (@WestJournalism) February 6, 2025
The situation spiraled further out of control as more reports surfaced detailing similar indecent exposure incidents dating back to last fall, culminating in the startling realization that the district had essentially been harboring a predator. It seems that at some point, those in charge could have clued in on the pattern—a registered sex offender exploiting school policies surrounding gender identity while ignoring the very real safety concerns of young girls.
Meanwhile, residents have voiced their frustrations, spinning tales of complaints that predated the most recent incidents and highlighting a troubling culture of silence. Several parents have suggested that this lax protocol is reflective of much broader issues within the school system, where gender identity policies have created an environment more favorable to predators than to those who need protecting. It appears that Arlington Public Schools may very well need to revisit their priorities and ensure the well-being of their students comes before misguided interpretations of progressive ideology.
