CNN
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A number of faculties in Fairfax County, Virginia, are below investigation after allegedly failing to provide college students their Nationwide Benefit Scholarship benefit awards in a well timed method, earlier than many college students wanted them for school purposes.
State Lawyer Common Jason Miyares launched the investigation on January 4 in opposition to Thomas Jefferson Excessive Faculty for Science and Expertise (TJHSST) for illegal discrimination, based on a press launch from his workplace.
5 days later, Miyares expanded the investigation to incorporate all the Fairfax County Public Faculties system after receiving studies that different faculties withheld awards as effectively, based on a separate launch from the legal professional common.
Fairfax County Public Faculties can be investigating, through an unbiased third celebration, its superintendent stated in a January 4 letter.
“Our present understanding is that the delay at TJHSST this fall was a singular scenario as a result of human error, however we’ll depart it to our investigative overview to attract any closing conclusion,” stated Fairfax County Faculties Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid.
Thomas Jefferson Excessive Faculty in Alexandria is almost 66% Asian, based on the Fairfax County Public Faculties demographics.
The college can be being investigated for its admission insurance policies, which Miyares stated in an announcement have considerably lowered the variety of Asian American college students lately.
“I’ve stated earlier than – in America about the one state-sanctioned type of bigotry is anti-Asian bigotry, and it’s improper and we’re going to carry people accountable,” Miyares stated in a press convention on January 4. “To the extent that withholding of any of those awards at Thomas Jefferson Excessive Faculty was primarily based on race, nationwide origin or some other protected standing below the Virginia human rights act, that’s illegal.”
The Nationwide Benefit Scholarship program is an “tutorial competitors for recognition and faculty undergraduate scholarships,” its web site says.
College students ought to have been notified between March and June in the event that they obtained commendations or have been awarded certainly one of three scholarships this system awards, based on the web site.
Miyares defined the significance of the commendations and the benefit awards and the way they will have an effect on faculty purposes and admissions for college kids.
“Each American, each Virginian needs to be outraged {that a} baby in Virginia at this time is being denied their desires due to their racial background, interval,” Miyares stated within the press convention.
In an interview with CNN affiliate WJLA on Sunday, Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) stated this incident was the results of a “maniacal give attention to equal outcomes for all college students in any respect prices.”
“This overarching effort for equal outcomes is hurting Virginia’s youngsters and their future. The failure of quite a few Fairfax County faculties to tell college students of their nationwide benefit awards may function a Virginia human rights violation. Because the legal professional common follows via on my request to analyze the matter, we’ll unravel this,” stated an announcement shared by the governor’s workplace Monday.
Faculties the place college students had utilized have been knowledgeable of the awards or commendations that they obtained, based on a January 9 letter from Reid.
CNN reached out to the superintendent on Monday for remark.
The legal professional common “is taking a look at each grievance and allegation concerning potential violations of the Virginia Human Rights Act at Northern Virginia excessive faculties,” Miyares spokesperson Victoria LaCivita stated.
“We encourage any pupil or dad or mum who believes they’ve been discriminated in opposition to to file a grievance with our Workplace of Civil Rights on our web site,” the legal professional common’s workplace stated in an announcement to CNN.