Fairfax County schools accused of racial discrimination in high school admissions

Fairfax County schools accused of racial discrimination in admissions

Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares has referred Fairfax County Public Schools to the Department of Justice and the Department of Education—accusing them of violating federal civil rights laws related to admissions at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology.

FAIRFAX, Va. - Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares has referred Fairfax County Public Schools to the Department of Justice and the Department of Education—accusing them of violating federal civil rights laws related to admissions at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology.

What we know:

Fairfax County Public Schools receive about $168 million in federal funding each year. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act states that programs receiving federal funds may not discriminate based on race.

Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology — commonly known as TJ — changed its admissions policy in 2020. The current policy is race-neutral on its face, meaning admissions officers do not see the race of applicants. Instead, TJ pulls applicants from every middle school in the county. But that change resulted in a significant drop in Asian American students—from about three-quarters of the student body to roughly half.

Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares says that’s no coincidence. He claims TJ’s admissions process now violates Title VI by discriminating against Asian American students.

Miyares says his office reviewed internal communications from the Fairfax County School Board — including text messages — that reveal the admissions overhaul was aimed at reducing the number of Asian students at TJ.
He says board members expressed concerns about an "anti-Asian feel," talked about the policy "kicking out Asians," and even stated, "Asians hate us."

What they're saying:

TJ alumnus Spencer Miller supports a merit-based system.

"We like to think that it's fair—and that the people who worked the hardest and did the most homework will perform best on the test—but that's not true," said Miller. "A huge component is just how intelligent you were born. Did your parents read to you enough when you were four? If you take an average person who does a year of prep and a smart person who does no prep, the smart person wins."

Fairfax County has defended the policy all the way to the Supreme Court—which declined to take up the case.

The district says the policy is designed to reflect the population of Northern Virginia and is entirely race-neutral.

Annika Holder, who was admitted under the old system but attended TJ after the new policy took effect, says the change made a big difference in her education. 

"Diversity is incredibly important to a student’s experience," Holder said. "I know it would’ve been ten times harder for me to be as academically productive or involved with extracurriculars if I didn’t have the community that came in after the admissions change. That diversity was crucial—helping me feel safe at school, feel like I could reach out to teachers, and feel like my peers were behind me. That sort of community—though mostly intangible—leads to real, tangible results."

FCPS says "This matter has already been fully litigated.  A federal appellate court determined there was no merit to arguments that the admissions policy for Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology discriminates against any group of students. Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) division leadership and counsel are currently reviewing the documents released today by the Attorney General and will issue a more detailed response in the coming days. FCPS remains committed to providing a world class education for all of our students."