Virginia
Virginia AG holds town hall on Asian discrimination in schools
ARLINGTON, Va. – Virginia Legal professional Common Jason Miyares and the Asian American neighborhood in Fairfax County held a city corridor assembly to debate discrimination in opposition to Asian individuals in Northern Virginia.
Miyares at present has two open investigations associated to Fairfax County Public Colleges. The primary is alleged discrimination in opposition to Asian college students making use of for admission into the county’s prestigious STEM college, Thomas Jefferson Excessive College.
The second investigation has the AG wanting into the failure of 17 faculties in Fairfax County, together with Thomas Jefferson, to well timed notify college students of their Nationwide Advantage Award Recognitions.
“It breaks my coronary heart that I’m listening to from so many Virginians that say my little one is being denied a few of their goals due to who they’re. That’s not proper,” Miyares stated.
“If you happen to imply fairness is equal alternative I consider in equal alternative. If what you imply by fairness is compelled equal outcomes, that’s the alternative of I believe what a wholesome pluralistic society ought to search for,” he continued.
On the city corridor, Miyares stated after Thomas Jefferson started insurance policies of fairness of their admissions course of, the variety of Asian college students accepted went down by 20%.
READ MORE: High-ranked Virginia highschool accused of depriving college students of advantage awards
Miyares stated out of about 1,000 college students county-wide who have been impacted by the Nationwide Advantage reporting delay greater than 70% of them have been Asian.
On the city corridor assembly, attendees additionally requested questions on Asian hate traits, hate crimes, public security, and safe elections.
A number of Fairfax County Public Colleges college students additionally participated. They raised their very own experiences of points like bullying and attainable discrimination.
“My class’s admissions examination was the second yr that they modified it and I believe that loads of college students might have been admitted to TJ however missed out on it due to the brand new equity-based system,” stated Shanna Chung, a freshman at Thomas Jefferson Excessive College.
“There’s like this factor – a prejudice in opposition to Asians however how can we truly know there’s discrimination?” stated Jihun Lee, a tenth grader at Centerville Excessive College. “Being Asian might simply be used as an excuse if you’re actually not ok.”
In accordance with Miyares, each investigations are at present within the thick of going by means of paperwork and interviewing directors and households. He didn’t give a timeline for when each can be full however stated anybody who feels they’ve one thing to contribute ought to contact his workplace.