Federal Probe Launched into Thomas Jefferson High School Admissions Policy

Key Points:

• U.S. Department of Education opens Title VI civil rights investigation into Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS).
• Focus is on 2020 changes to admissions at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST).
• Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares found policy was racially discriminatory against Asian American students.
• Governor Glenn Youngkin and Education Secretary Linda McMahon back the investigation.
• The proportion of Asian American students at TJHSST dropped from 73% to 54% in one year.

Federal Investigation Triggered by Civil Rights Concerns

The U.S. Department of Education has started a civil rights investigation. It concerns Fairfax County Public Schools’ 2020 changes to the admissions process at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST). This action follows a report from Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, which alleges racial discrimination against Asian American students.

According to Attorney General Miyares, the school board replaced a merit-based admissions process with a holistic review. This change removed standardized testing requirements. The goal, Miyares claims, was to alter the school’s racial composition.

Secretary of Education Linda McMahon added, “We are grateful for the diligent work of Governor Youngkin and Attorney General Miyares. They documented concerning practices at TJ. We will investigate the complaint further to ensure students are evaluated fairly—based on merit and achievement.”

Evidence and Public Reaction

Attorney General Miyares stated, “My Office of Civil Rights found reasonable cause to believe the Fairfax County School Board overhauled TJ’s admissions system to reduce Asian American enrollment.”

My office found that FCPS knowingly and deliberately overhauled Thomas Jefferson High School’s merit-based admissions policy to reduce opportunities for Asian American students.

I’ve referred this to @USEdGov and @TheJusticeDept for enforcement under federal civil rights law. pic.twitter.com/QHennu0q8v

— Jason Miyares (@JasonMiyaresVA) May 21, 2025

Documents from Miyares’ office reveal the share of Asian American students at TJHSST fell from 73% to 54% within a year. These findings led to a referral to the Department of Education and the Department of Justice for further legal action.

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act prohibits racial discrimination in federally funded educational institutions. The Supreme Court’s decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard (2023) reinforced this by banning racial preferences in school admissions.