The longtime spokesman for Loudoun County Public Schools who was accused of lying under oath when he testified to a special grand jury was found not guilty on Thursday.
A jury deliberated for an hour and 45 minutes before declaring Wayde Byard not guilty of perjury.
"I'm not really happy. I'm relieved," Byard told News4 after the verdict.
Byard was indicted on a felony count of perjury last December. Prosecutors said Byard lied to the grand jury that looked into how the school district handled two sexual assaults committed by the same high school student.
We're making it easier for you to find stories that matter with our new newsletter — The 4Front. Sign up here and get news that is important for you to your inbox.
A 14-year-old student sexually assaulted a female student at Stone Bridge High School in May 2021, but was allowed to transfer to Broad Run High School, where he abducted and sexually assaulted another female student in October of 2021. The teen was later convicted in juvenile court.
During his testimony to a grand jury, Byard said he didn't know about the first sexual assault at Stone Bridge High School until after the second assault happened at Broad Run High School.
The prosecution argued there was no way Byard couldn’t have known about the first sex assault, and that he had intent and motive to lie to protect the school system.
Local
Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia local news, events and information
But the defense said there was no proof that Byard knew anything about the first sex assault.
Byard pleaded not guilty. He has been on administrative leave from his position with the school system since he was charged.
Byard said he doesn't yet know if he'll return to his position.
"The honest answer is I don't know. I would have to talk with my colleagues. It might be hard to be the face of Loudoun County again because people would automatically associate me with something else," he said.
"There's always work to do. I love this community. There are a lot of good people here. I think a lot of people who have spoken loudly have maybe gotten a little too much play and inflamed some situations that really weren't that inflammatory with really biased rhetoric," Byard said.
The grand jury issued a scathing report in December about the school system's handling of the sexual assaults, saying that the second assault could have been avoided.
Stay with News4 for updates to this developing story.
