A federal judge ruled Friday that the changes in the admissions process at a northern Virginia magnet high school aimed at increasing the number of black students violated federal law.
Claude Hilton, a U.S. district judge for the Eastern District of Virginia, ruled that changes to the admissions process for Thomas Jefferson High School in Fairfax violated federal law by discriminating against Asian American students.
The ruling is a victory for the Coalition for TJ, a group of parents, students, alumni, and local community members who sued the Fairfax County School Board for discriminating against Asian students by replacing the merit-based admissions at the school with a lottery-based system.
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The goal of the change was to increase the number of black and Hispanic students attending the high school at the expense of the large number of Asian American students.
In his ruling, the Ronald Reagan-appointed Hilton wrote that the “discussion of TJ admissions changes was infected talk of racial balancing from its inception” and that board members “sought to use geography to obtain their desired racial outcome.”
“Even aside from the statements confirming that the board’s goal was to bring racial balance to TJ, the board’s requests for racial data demonstrate discriminatory intent,” Hilton wrote. “Discriminatory intent does not require racial animus. What matters is that the board acted at least in part because of, not merely in spite of the policy’s adverse effects upon an identifiable group.”
“That is the case here,” the judge continued. “The board’s policy was designed to increase Black and Hispanic enrollment which would by necessity, decrease the representation of Asian-Americans at TJ.”
The Coalition for TJ was represented by the Pacific Legal Foundation, which celebrated the ruling as “a monumental win for parents and students here in Fairfax County, but also for equal treatment in education across the country.”
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“We hope this ruling sends the message that government cannot choose who receives the opportunity to attend public schools based on race or ethnicity,” attorney Erin Wilcox said.
The judge’s ruling earned the praise of Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who said in a tweet that the decision “reaffirms that TJ’s admissions should be based on merit.”
“We thank the parents who stood up for their children,” the Republican governor wrote. “We will work everyday to ensure that every student across VA has a quality education so they can dream big dreams and be prepared for success in life.”
Today’s decision reaffirms that TJ’s admissions should be based on merit. We thank the parents who stood up for their children. We will work everyday to ensure that every student across VA has a quality education so they can dream big dreams and be prepared for success in life.
— Governor Glenn Youngkin (@GovernorVA) February 25, 2022
Youngkin, who took office in January, promised on the campaign trail to strengthen parental rights in education and to take on controversial ideas such as critical race theory in public schools that were often associated with the Fairfax School Board’s decision to overhaul the Thomas Jefferson admission process.
