One of the most ranked high schools in the United States is once again bringing the spotlight to admission policies after the US Department of Education announced it would begin investigating the issue.
The announcement comes after the state’s Republican Attorney General. Jason MiyaresHis office said it found a reasonable cause after years of investigation that determined Thomas Jefferson High School (TJHSST), which is overseen by the Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) system, was running an admissions process that discriminates against applicants for Asian heritage.
“The Fairfax County Board of Education has made it clear that the intended outcome is to reduce opportunities for Asian American students, and that’s exactly what happened,” Miyares said. “These students are not statistics. They are sons and daughters, neighbors, classmates, Virginians and deserve equal protection and opportunity under the law.”
The controversy began in 2020 when TJHSST made changes to its admissions policy to wisely promote diversity. This was done by removing the Standardized Tests Application fees for students of interest will be conducted through an overall review process taking into account factors such as socioeconomic status and geographical location, except for a certain number of spots for each middle student student in the county.
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Thomas Jefferson High School of Science and Technology is located in the suburbs of Washington, DC, in northern Virginia. It is consistently ranked among the best schools in the country. (Google Maps)
In response, the parents filed a lawsuit against the district, claiming that the new enrollment policy discriminated against Asian students. a Federal District Court He was then awarded in his parents’ favour, but that decision was later overturned by a federal court of appeals.
US Supreme Court In the end, he refused to hear the case and effectively solidified the Court of Appeals’ ruling. Conservative Justice Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito opposed and warned of the impact the Court of Appeals’ decision may have on other admission policies at other schools across the country.
Miyares has been investigating TJHSST enrollment policies since 2023, and concluded this week there is reasonable reason for the FCP to determine that it is “discriminating against Asian American students.”
According to Miyares, when TJHSST first implemented the new admissions policy, Asian American students accounted for more than 65% of the school’s hospitalized classes. However, in just one year, Asian American enrollment fell 19 points, he noted.
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares sits in his office in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Julia Lendorman of the Washington Post by Getty Images)
“Internal communication confirms that this outcome is intentional. The board considered the proposal after the proposal until the board was able to guarantee subsequent racial ‘diversity’,” Miyares Office said. “And in Zerosum School Entrance Games, achieving the board’s favorable racial balance has made Asian American students less accepting.”
The Justice Department said it would work on Wednesday. Ministry of Education After Miyares’ office introduces the issue to them for an investigation, it investigates potential title VI violations. The Trump administration has threatened to withhold school funding over potentially discriminatory diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
In a statement to FOX News Digital, FCPS said the issue has already been resolved by a court that said there was no merit behind allegations that the admissions policy was discriminatory. (Getty Images)
In a statement to Fox News Digital, FCPS said the issue has already been ruled court, He said he determined there was no merit behind allegations that the admissions policy was discriminatory.
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Nevertheless, the statement said the district is reviewing the documents from the Attorney General and will issue more detailed responses in the near future.
“This issue has already been fully litigated. The federal Court of Appeals has determined that there is no merit in the argument that Thomas Jefferson High School’s admissions policy for science and technology discriminates against groups of students,” the statement said. “Leadership and counsel in the Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) division are currently reviewing documents released today by the Attorney General and will issue a more detailed response in the coming days. FCPS is committed to providing world-class education to all students.”
