On Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, after Potomac Local published a video report on this story, School Board Member Dayna-Marie Miles provided the following statement:
Miles
I want to clarify my position because I did have a very specific position and wanted to communicate it.
I am a conservative School Board member who sits on the Manassas City School Board alongside Sara. I informed Sara that there was going to be a public vote on Tuesday regarding whether to investigate her, and I told her that I did not believe it was appropriate for the Board to handle the matter that way.
My understanding was that this involved a personnel matter concerning an employee, parents, and the conduct of a School Board member. I believed the matter should have remained in closed session to the extent permitted by law and that we should have protected the privacy of the people involved.
I was contacted twice by Jill and asked whether I wanted to move forward with an investigation. I said no. Based on the information I had at the time, I did not believe an investigation was necessary because I was not aware of a Title IX violation. I also did not believe it was appropriate for the Board to dictate what Sara could say or do in her personal life when she was acting as a private citizen.
I also expressed that I did not support a public vote on whether to investigate Sara. My concern was that publicly voting on the matter could unnecessarily damage her credibility as a School Board member and impact her campaign before the facts had been fully considered. I did not believe that was fair or appropriate.
I did not anticipate that the situation would ultimately escalate to Sara filing a lawsuit against the Board.
When Jill later texted the Board stating that it was the will of the Board to conduct a full investigation of Sara, I was surprised. I had understood that if the Board was going to take formal action on this matter, we would need to follow the appropriate legal process, whether through closed session where permitted or through a properly noticed public vote.
I was also surprised by Sara’s comments during the School Board meeting. It was my understanding that the desire was to keep this matter as private as possible because of the personnel issues and the people involved.
I am genuinely saddened that this has escalated the way it has. I don’t believe anyone benefits when a personnel matter becomes a public controversy of this magnitude.
We were elected by the residents of Manassas City to do an important job. Our responsibility is to serve our students, support our employees, protect the integrity of our school division, and make difficult decisions responsibly and professionally.
Original post
School Board Member Sara Brescia filed a petition for a writ of mandamus on Aug. 11 in Prince William County General District Court, alleging that a majority of the Manassas City School Board conducted an unlawful electronic and telephonic vote in violation of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act.
The petition asks the court to order the School Board of the City of Manassas to follow the law and void the results of the vote. According to court documents and Brescia’s statements, the disputed action directed Superintendent Dr. Kevin Newman to open a full investigation, using outside counsel, into allegations first raised by Board Member Diana Brown.
A hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 18, at 11 a.m. at the Prince William County Courthouse, 9311 Lee Avenue.
The filing and public announcement occurred the day before the first day of school for Manassas City Public Schools’ 7,300 students. Brescia has framed the action as politically motivated and intended to chill protected speech during her re-election campaign.
School Division Response
On Aug. 12, the first day of the new school year, Almeta (Al.) Radford, Director of Public Communications and Community Relations for Manassas City Public Schools, issued the following statement on behalf of the division and Superintendent Dr. Kevin Newman:
“Manassas City Public Schools is aware of comments made during Tuesday evening’s School Board meeting. We are reviewing the matters that were raised. Our immediate focus today is welcoming students and staff for a successful start to the new school year.”
Comment was also sought from all sitting members of the School Board, Michael Gramajo, and 2026 school board candidate Marcus Still. No responses had been received from individual board members, Gramajo, or Still as of publication. This article will be updated if responses are received.
Potomac Local has filed a Freedom of Information Act request seeking documents related to the underlying complaints and the board’s subsequent actions. This article will be updated with a link to additional reporting once those records are received.
How the Disputed Vote Unfolded
Court exhibits outline the following sequence of events:
Aug. 6: Board Member Diana Brown emailed Superintendent Newman requesting a full investigation of Brescia. Brown framed the request as concerning parent, PTO, and citizen conduct. She cited two parents who expressed fear and intimidation, alleged that Brescia targeted a school employee connected to a political opponent, and raised personnel and student confidentiality concerns. Newman forwarded the email to the full board.
Aug. 7–8: Chair Jill Spall solicited votes by text and telephone. Brown requested that any vote occur in an open meeting. Brescia objected and left a voicemail for Spall stating that a public recorded vote on the item at the regular meeting would be out of order under board protocols and “legally actionable.”
Aug. 10 evening: Spall texted Brescia that it had “been determined to be the will of the board to empower Dr. Newman to conduct a full investigation of the allegations made against Mrs. Sara Brescia in relation to Parental and Employee interactions. Dr. Newman will be utilizing the services of an outside counsel to conduct the investigation.” Brescia stated she was unaware any formal vote or deliberations had occurred.
Aug. 10: Brescia’s attorney sent a detailed letter arguing violations of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, the inapplicability of Title IX, and First Amendment protections.
Aug. 11: Brescia filed the petition and publicly addressed the matter during the board’s regular meeting. No other board member responded to the substance of her comments on the record.
Origin of the Underlying Complaints
The complaints originated with public statements by Michael Gramajo, Family Liaison at Baldwin Elementary School and partner of 2026 Manassas City School Board candidate Marcus Still.
Gramajo posted a video on TikTok and Facebook alleging that a sitting school board member contacted or visited him at school after learning his partner was a candidate, circulated an older photo of Still, and referenced personal details.
Two formal written complaints followed and were forwarded by Gramajo:
A July 14 letter from Charlotte Donaldson
A July 24 “Formal Complaint” from Courtney Collins
These formed the basis for Brown’s Aug. 6 email. Brescia’s counsel letter states that most of the complained-of interactions are either false or grossly distorted. The letter assumes the allegations true solely for purposes of legal analysis.
Related Police Internal Affairs Finding
Brescia has also cited a separate internal affairs complaint filed with the Manassas City Police Department. A June 30, 2026 letter from Lt. Justin R. Lehman of the department’s Office of Professional Standards, addressed to Brescia, summarizes the findings of that investigation.
According to the letter, two allegations against an officer were examined:
That the officer unlawfully utilized a database to access sensitive information about a local school board candidate (including demographic, residential, and voting history information)
That the officer disseminated that information for a nefarious purpose or to impugn the candidate
Both allegations were determined to be unfounded. The letter states a finding of unfounded is rendered when the alleged act did not occur, was not based on fact(s), or there was no credible basis for a potential violation of policy or procedure. Brescia was interviewed as a witness and has presented the letter as documentary evidence.
Legal Arguments
In an Aug. 10 letter to Chair Spall, Superintendent Newman, and the board, attorney Trey Mayfield of Chalmers, Adams, Backer & Wallen, LLC, advanced several arguments on Brescia’s behalf:
Electronic and telephonic voting on public business without proper public notice and physical assembly violates the Virginia Freedom of Information Act and board regulations. Any such vote is void ab initio.
Title IX does not apply to individual board members in their personal capacities in this context.
The alleged comments constitute ordinary political speech protected by the First Amendment. The board may not investigate or punish members for such speech, either directly or through the superintendent.
Brescia also announced that board members received or would receive litigation-hold notices, that the school division’s FOIA officer received requests for related records, and that the matter had been referred to the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Civil Rights.
Board Meeting Context
Brescia delivered her detailed public comments during the board member comments portion of the Aug. 11 regular meeting. She restated that she ran for the board four years ago to make positive change for students, asserted her First Amendment rights, outlined the petition and related steps, and called on the board to reverse course and return focus to academic success.
The remainder of the meeting covered routine business, including a Resilient Futures program update, revisions to the FY 2028 budget development calendar, the Manassas City Public Schools Education Foundation annual report, and policy approvals. No other member addressed her allegations on the record.
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