Tag: diversity
FCPS won’t implement Youngkin’s model policies on trans students
Fairfax County Public Schools will not implement the “model policies” on the treatment of transgender students promulgated by the administration of Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Superintendent Michelle Reid announced Aug. 15. The final version of the model policies issued by the Virginia Department of Education in July calls for school districts to set their own policies … Continued
Pride Rally participants denounce hate incident at Falls Church High School
As Fairfax County Public Schools celebrates Pride Month, a recent incident at Falls Church High School shows LBGTQ hate is still with us. Falls Church Principal Ben Nowak sent an email to the community June 6 stating that a student recorded a video in which he admitted to stealing a pride flag from the school … Continued
Police liaison to build relationships with LGBTQ community
Fairfax County police officer Brian Lawton is reaching out to the LBGTQ community to ensure they feel safe and respected during interactions with the police. He also plans to improve police officers’ awareness of the LBGTQ community. PFC Lawton took over as the police department’s second LGBTQ liaison June 15 from Lt. Jane Burns. “The … Continued
Appeals court grants stay in TJ case
Fairfax County Public Schools can continue to use the current admissions process for Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology for the time being. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit on March 31 granted a stay pending an appeal requested by the Fairfax County School Board. That means FCPS can continue … Continued
School advocates rally for librarians
Nearly 70 people participated in a rally to support school librarians March 24 before a school board meeting at Luther Jackson Middle School. At the meeting, several people attacked librarians for supporting LGBTQ students’ rights. The rally was co-hosted by 4 Public Education, the Fairfax County Federation of Teachers (FCFT), and FCPS Pride. “The librarians … Continued
FXCO school board appeals TJ ruling
The Fairfax County School Board filed an appeal challenging the ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Claude Hilton that would invalidate the race-neutral admissions process at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJ). The appeal was filed March 16 with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. The school board also … Continued
Judge denies motion for stay in TJ case
A federal judge rejected a motion by the Fairfax County School Board March 11 to delay implementation of the judge’s decision on the admissions process for Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, the Washington Post reports. Judge Claude Hilton of the U.S. District Court had previously ruled that the admissions system adopted by … Continued
Victoria Virasingh runs against Rep. Beyer
Victoria Virasingh believes she can bring a fresh perspective to Congress by better representing working-class voters in the highly diverse 8th District. She is running against Rep. Don Beyer in the Democratic Primary on June 21. Beyer has been in office since January 2015. The 8th District boundaries have been adjusted due to Virginia’s redistricting process. … Continued
TJ admissions process discriminates against Asians, judge rules
A federal judge ruled that the admissions process adopted for Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in 2020 illegally discriminates against Asian students. Judge Claude Hilton of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in Alexandria found the new system for selecting students to the elite, highly competitive school amounted … Continued
Fairfax County is getting more diverse and multiracial
Data from the 2020 Census, released Aug. 12, show Fairfax County is continuing to become more diverse and more multiracial. The Census is critically important, as it will be used to determine congressional districts and the amount of federal funding allocated to states and localities. The data will inform the redistricting effort underway in … Continued
Police chief vows to increase foot patrols in Culmore
Police Chief Kevin Davis speaks at the Bailey’s Community Center. At the right is session moderator Michael Shochet, FCPD chaplain coordinator. Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis plans to bring a new approach to improve safety in Culmore and other high-crime areas. He will direct officers to spend time every day on foot patrol to establish … Continued
Faced with growing public criticism, Police Chief Davis vows to listen to community on racial bias and SROs
FCPD Police Chief Kevin Davis [Reston Now] Fairfax County’s new police chief, Kevin Davis, promised to listen to community concerns about racial bias on the police force and step up training. “I’m committed to diversity,” Davis said during a meeting of the Police Civilian Review Panel May 26. After Davis started the job, on May … Continued
Board of Supervisors condemns anti-Asian racism and violence
A participant at an event in Annandale March 22 denouncing violence against Asian-Americans. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution March 23 condemning anti-Asian racism and violence. That vote comes a week after six Asian-Americans were murdered in Georgia and the day after a vigil in Annandale to mourn those victims and protest … Continued
School board rejects proposal to close school for four more religious holidays
Despite intense lobbying from families and faith communities, the Fairfax County School Board adopted a 2021-22 calendar that does not close schools on four holidays important to the Jewish, Hindu, Muslim, and Sikh communities. Religious groups and individual families had urged the board to close schools on Rosh Hashanah (Sept. 6), Yom Kippur (Sept. 15), … Continued
Giant to add labels indicating products are from a minority-owned company
The Giant on Columbia Pike in Annandale. Giant Food will introduce new shelf labels in January for about 3,100 products sold in its stores that come from minority-owned businesses, the company announced last week. The labels will let shoppers know certain products are from women, black, Asian-Indian, Hispanic, LGBT, or veteran-owned businesses. There are 218 … Continued