The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights has initiated a Title VI investigation into Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) regarding the 2020 revision of the admissions policy at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJ). This action follows a report by Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, which concluded that the revised admissions policy discriminates based on race. The complaint was subsequently referred to the Department of Education.
Attorney General Miyares' report indicated that the Fairfax County School Board aimed to change TJ's admissions policies due to dissatisfaction with the school's racial composition. The report notes that standardized testing requirements were dropped in favor of a revised holistic review process, allegedly to achieve racial balancing.
U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon commented, "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." She added that further investigation would ensure fair assessment according to merit and accomplishment.
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin stated, "Virginia students’ dreams were illegally denied because of their race. Not merit, but race. The Fairfax County School Board and administration dashed those dreams for many Asian American students by enacting an illegal admissions policy at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology." He expressed gratitude towards President Trump and Secretary McMahon for launching the federal investigation.
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares remarked, "In Virginia—and America—we do not uplift one group by tearing another down. We do not define individuals by the color of their skin." His office found reasonable cause to believe that FCPS deliberately designed changes to reduce Asian American admissions at TJ.
On May 21, 2025, following a two-year investigation, Attorney General Miyares released findings indicating FCPS violated both the Virginia Human Rights Act and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by discriminating against Asian American students in its admissions process. Consequently, FCPS was referred to both the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Justice for further enforcement under Title VI.
According to Miyares' office, "In 2020, the Fairfax County School Board overhauled Thomas Jefferson High School’s admissions process with the intention to deny Asian American students the opportunity to attend one of [the premier] public high schools in the United States." It is reported that this overhaul reduced Asian American student representation from 73% to 54% within a year.
Title VI prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in federally funded education programs. In Students v. Harvard (2023), it was held by the Supreme Court that educational institutions may not discriminate based on race in admissions policies.
