The US Department of Education and the Department of Justice recently announced an investigation into the admission policy changes at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJ), a top public high school in Virginia, to examine whether the policy violates the civil rights of Asian students. Despite the Supreme Court of the United States rejecting the case for review in early 2024, it continues to draw significant attention.
According to an article by the education website Chalkbeat on May 22, following the policy changes, the admission rate of Asian students at TJ decreased from 73% to 54%, while the rates for white, Black, and Hispanic students increased. This shift has sparked strong reactions from Asian parents and the community, who believe the policy changes may discriminate against Asian students.
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares stated that after a two-year investigation, there is sufficient evidence to suggest that the school district’s policy changes may have been motivated by anti-Asian bias. School board members were reportedly heard in private conversations suggesting that the policy changes had a “discriminatory impact” on Asian students and could “exclude Asian students.” The Attorney General’s office subsequently referred the case to the federal government, calling for an investigation by the Departments of Education and Justice under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.
While the Supreme Court has declined to hear the related lawsuits, this investigation has sparked intense legal and political debates. During the Trump administration, the Department of Education warned school districts that even race-neutral policies aimed at diversifying school admissions could be considered illegally discriminatory. This case marks the first civil rights investigation into high school admission policies during Trump’s second term.
Supporters of the case, particularly the Asian parent organization “Coalition for TJ,” view the federal investigation as a new ray of hope for parents. They believe that the unfair impact of the policy changes on Asian students should be legally scrutinized. However, some legal scholars have expressed doubts about the Education Department’s investigation, suggesting that it may conflict with existing court rulings.
If the federal investigation finds that the school district’s policy changes violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, the federal government could impose penalties on the district, including withholding federal funds. Additionally, if the district deems the investigation process illegal, it may choose to file a lawsuit challenging the government’s actions.
This case has sparked nationwide discussions on elite school admission policies, racial diversity, and equity issues. With the federal investigation ongoing, the outcome of this case will have profound implications for education policies and civil rights protections across the United States.
Thomas Jefferson High School is one of the top public schools in the US, previously ranked first among all public high schools in the country. The school faces intense competition for admissions. In the past, it used standardized entrance exams for admissions, but in 2020, the Fairfax County School Board, where the school is located, made significant changes to its admissions process. In 2021, the school transitioned to a holistic evaluation approach for admissions, eliminating standardized tests and allocating admission spots to the top 1.5% of students from all public schools in the county. This reform led to a sudden drop in the percentage of Asian students admitted in the fall of 2021 – from 73% to 54%, while the percentage of Black students rose from 1% to 7% and Hispanic representation increased from 3% to 11%.
The admission reforms at TJ High School have sparked widespread dissatisfaction among Asian families, who criticize the changes for allegedly lowering admission standards only to boost ethnic diversity. In March 2021, several Asian parents filed a lawsuit against the School Board and Superintendent Scott Brabrand, accusing them of failing to maintain “racial neutrality” and discriminating against Asians.