Overview

• FOIA records reported by 7News show Richard “Riki” Cox emailed Arlington school board candidate Kathleen Clark in October 2024 about using female-designated showers, and Clark replied he should use the showers and changing rooms he was most comfortable using.
• Arlington police say Cox, 58, a registered sex offender, faces more than 20 charges for exposing himself in female locker rooms at school and county facilities, and a detective testified that investigators found child sex-abuse images on his phone along with evidence he tracked children.
• On the debate stage, Winsome Earle‑Sears said she would keep Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s directive separating bathrooms, locker rooms and sports by sex assigned at birth, while Abigail Spanberger declined to say whether she would rescind it.
• Arlington Public Schools stated it did not knowingly admit a sex offender, barred Cox once identified, notified police, and strengthened access protocols to require 100% ID checks against the sex‑offender registry for community pool entry.
• Earle‑Sears and Youngkin highlighted the case on social media as Republicans press the issue, pointing to recent Education Department findings that some districts’ gender‑inclusive policies risk federal funding unless changed.