Feds launch civil rights probe into Fairfax schools after Miyares referral

The U.S. Department of Education has opened a civil rights investigation into Fairfax County Public Schools following a referral from Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, alleging the district’s 2020 admissions changes at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology may have violated federal anti-discrimination laws.

The announcement came from the department’s Office for Civil Rights and was echoed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin during a Fox News interview, where he said Fairfax County “engineered an illegal admissions system” and “purposefully discriminated against Asian American students."

The federal agency said it is investigating whether the changes were intended to alter the school’s demographic makeup in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.

“Thomas Jefferson High School in Fairfax County has long had a reputation for producing some of our nation’s brightest minds, due in no small part to its rigorous admissions process. The Fairfax County School Board's alleged decision to weigh race in TJ's admissions decisions appears to be both contrary to the law and to the fundamental principle that students should be evaluated on their merit, not the color of their skin,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon.

The admissions policy, adopted in 2020, eliminated standardized testing and implemented a “holistic” evaluation process that considered factors such as middle school attendance, grades and personal experiences.

Miyares’ office concluded earlier this week that the changes were designed to reduce the number of Asian American students at TJHSST and referred the case to both the Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Justice.

While the school district has previously defended the policy and pointed to a 2023 federal court ruling that upheld it as constitutional, the Department of Education said it is reviewing the matter under a different legal standard tied to federal civil rights enforcement.

The Coalition for TJ, which brought the original federal lawsuit challenging the policy, praised the Department’s decision to investigate.

“For nearly five years, Fairfax County Public Schools has perpetrated a systemic campaign of racial engineering that targeted and penalized Asian American students—simply because of their race,” the group said in a statement. “Today marks a historic and moral victory for merit, equal opportunity, and the fundamental civil rights of all American children.”

The Department of Education has not provided a timeline for its investigation or said what enforcement steps may follow. Under Title VI, schools found in violation can be required to take corrective action but rarely face immediate funding loss.