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6d ago

Federal Investigations Launched Into Alleged Anti-Asian Bias in Virginia High School Admissions

The DOJ and Education Department are probing claims of intentional racial discrimination after Virginia's attorney general found Fairfax County's admissions policy targeted Asian American students.

Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in July 2020 in Alexandria, Virginia.
Secretary of Education Linda McMahon testifies before a House Committee on Appropriations subcommittee budget hearing on the US Department of Education on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)
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Overview

  • The U.S. Department of Justice and Department of Education have opened Title VI civil rights investigations into Fairfax County Public Schools' admissions policy at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology.
  • Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares referred the case to federal authorities after concluding that the admissions policy intentionally discriminated against Asian American students.
  • The 2020 admissions overhaul replaced standardized tests with a holistic review process and geographic quotas, leading to a sharp drop in Asian American representation from 73% to 54%.
  • Internal communications revealed board members discussed plans to lower Asian representation, with one message stating the goal to 'whiten our schools and kick out Asians.'
  • Fairfax County Public Schools maintains that the policy has already been upheld by the courts, while federal authorities are now scrutinizing whether it violates civil rights laws.