Multiple schools in Fairfax County, Virginia, are under investigation after allegedly failing to give students their National Merit Scholarship merit awards in a timely manner, before many students needed them for college applications.
\nState Attorney General Jason Miyares launched the investigation on January 4 against Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) for unlawful discrimination,\u00a0according to a press release\u00a0from his office.
\nFive days later, Miyares expanded the investigation to include the entire Fairfax County Public Schools system after receiving reports that other schools withheld awards as well, according to a\u00a0separate release\u00a0from the attorney general.
\nFairfax County Public Schools is also investigating, via an independent third party, its superintendent said in a\u00a0January 4 letter.
\n\u201cOur current understanding is that the delay at TJHSST this fall was a unique situation due to human error, but we will leave it to our investigative review to draw any final conclusion,\u201d said Fairfax County Schools Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid.
\nThomas Jefferson High School in Alexandria is nearly 66% Asian, according to the\u00a0Fairfax County Public Schools demographics.
\nThe school is also being investigated for its admission policies, which Miyares said in a statement have significantly reduced the number of Asian American students in recent years.
\n\u201cI have said before \u2013 in America about the only state-sanctioned form of bigotry is anti-Asian bigotry, and it is wrong and we\u2019re going to hold folks accountable,\u201d Miyares said in a press conference on January 4. \u201cTo the extent that withholding of any of these awards at Thomas Jefferson High School was based on race, national origin or any other protected status under the Virginia human rights act, that is unlawful.\u201d<\/p>\n