Arlington County, Virginia, just became ground zero for the ultimate betrayal of parents, kids, and common sense, all in the name of radical gender ideology. A convicted sex offender, Richard “Rich” Cox, exploited Arlington Public Schools’ (APS) “self-ID” policy to enter girls’ locker rooms fully naked in front of children. APS officials were warned, but instead of stopping him, they allowed him to use female-only facilities under their “gender-inclusive” policies, which they defended at the expense of their own students.
Richard Cox, a 58-year-old Tier III registered sex offender, the most serious classification, requiring lifetime registration, was arrested after multiple incidents where he exposed himself in female-only locker rooms at Washington-Liberty High School, Wakefield High School, and Barcroft Sports and Fitness Center. The first reported incident occurred in September 2024 when a mother and her 9-year-old daughter walked into the girls’ locker room at Washington-Liberty High School and found Cox completely naked after a swim lesson. The girl was traumatized and needed to leave. And it didn’t stop there. Over the next several months, Rich Cox repeatedly entered girls’ spaces, exposing himself at multiple locations:
October & November 2024 – Cox exposed himself in the girls’ locker room at Wakefield High School.
December 2024 – Cox was seen walking around completely nude in the female locker room at Barcroft Sports and Fitness Center in front of a woman and two minors.
He allegedly engaged in similar behavior at two Planet Fitness locations, Fairfax County’s Audrey Moore Rec Center, Oakmont Rec Center, and Franconia Rec Center. Over the summer, Cox was charged with indecent exposure after being caught naked in the female-only locker room at Planet Fitness in Fairfax County. The charge was dismissed because Cox claimed to have legally changed his sex to female and found a loophole. One mother canceled her gym membership at Planet Fitness after learning Cox was using the girls’ locker room there as well, saying, “I was pregnant when I learned that a sex offender was using the women’s locker room at my gym. I canceled my membership immediately.”
According to reports from 7News, community members and aquatics center staff repeatedly complained about Rich Cox exposing himself in the girls' locker room. They had received complaints about this man but claimed they “couldn’t do anything” because Cox identifies as transgender. A police report revealed that Richard Cox had been seen loitering in the locker room for over an hour, exposing himself to young girls. Witnesses described his behavior as “deliberate and prolonged.” At a heated school board meeting, furious parents demanded answers from Arlington Public Schools’ leadership. Democrat and lesbian activist Burton Nelson slammed Arlington Public Schools for putting girls in danger: “Girls and women are not safe in the presence of any naked men. That’s why we have two separate locker rooms!” Superintendent Francisco Durán refused to acknowledge anyone's concerns. Nowhere in his response did he address the trauma faced by the victims or the legitimate safety concerns of parents: “Our facilities are designed to be safe, welcoming spaces where our community can come to connect, engage, and focus on their health and well-being.”
Rather than admitting their policy was exploited by a repeat sexual predator with a 30-year history of targeting children, school officials are doubling down. Their solution? Telling girls and women who feel uncomfortable with a naked male sex offender in their locker room that they should be the ones to use “family changing areas” instead. This response is eerily similar to the Loudoun County scandal, when school officials covered up a bathroom sexual assault by a male student wearing a skirt…only for him to later assault another girl at a different school. This isn’t just negligence. It’s deliberate child endangerment.
Court records show Rich Cox has served multiple prison sentences dating back to the 1980s for exhibitionism-related crimes. Cox has a documented history of “severe sexual paraphilia of exhibitionism” and “compulsive sexual behaviors.” In 1995, Cox himself admitted in a letter to a judge that he suffered “compulsions to expose [his genitalia] in public places.” His criminal history goes back decades, and he has spent his life preying on minors.
1992: Convicted of indecent liberties with children after exposing himself and masturbating in front of minors at a gymnasium.
2007: Convicted of possessing child pornography.
2020: Placed on Virginia’s Most Wanted List after violating probation and failing to register as a sex offender.
In bodycam footage obtained by 7News, Cox argued that his rights and protections based on “gender identity” give him the ability to do what he does. He boldly states, “My civil rights as a transgender person allow me to use a public facility, including the restrooms that identify with my gender.” NOBODY has a civil right to flash their genitals at little girls.
The controversy has now escalated to the federal level. The Defense of Freedom Institute (DFI) has now filed a Title IX complaint against Arlington Public Schools, arguing that the district failed to protect students from sexual misconduct. DFI is demanding a full federal investigation and policy changes to prevent further violations. Title IX prohibits sex-based discrimination in federally funded education programs, with “sex” defined as biological sex (male or female) at birth, as confirmed by multiple federal courts and the Supreme Court. Since 1975, Title IX regulations allow schools to maintain sex-separated facilities to protect women and girls. The Biden-Harris Administration’s proposed updates would have expanded “sex discrimination” to include “gender identity,” mandating open access to facilities based on self-identification. However, last month, the Trump Administration's Department of Education – Office for Civil Rights put out a new directive, rendering the proposed updates invalid. Arlington Public Schools can no longer justify its dangerous policies by citing the Biden-Harris “gender identity” provisions because they were unlawful and vacated. Under Arlington Public Schools' policy, Cox’s claim of being a "woman" was enough to grant him unrestricted entry into spaces meant for young girls, even though he is a known sexual predator.
Local parents have had enough. They are demanding major policy changes, including:
1. Immediate restrictions preventing biological males from using female-designated spaces.
2. Stronger background checks for those accessing public school and community facilities.
3. A formal apology and accountability from the school's leadership for failing to protect students.
Police records show he has been charged with twelve counts of “Sex Offender in Proximity to Children,” three counts of “Sex Offender Entering School/Child Day Center Property,” four counts of Indecent Exposure, two counts of Taking Indecent Liberties with Children, one count of Identity Theft, etc. The sex offender remains in custody, but police believe there may be additional victims and are urging anyone with information to come forward. This case proves once again that “gender inclusivity” policies are being used as a smokescreen for predators to take advantage of vulnerable children. Arlington Public Schools, like Loudoun County, has shown where its priorities lie. Girls deserve safe spaces. Parents deserve accountability. And serial sex offenders do not belong in girls’ locker rooms, no matter how they “identify.”
References
Thank you to our Research Team, led by Mandy, whose work allows us to deliver robust investigations and well-sourced reporting.
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