Coalition for TJ v. Fairfax County School Board facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Coalition for TJ v. Fairfax County School Board
Court	United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
Full case name	Coalition for TJ v. Fairfax County School Board
Argued	September 16, 2022
Decided	May 23, 2023
Citation(s)	68 F.4th 864 (4th Cir. 2023).
Case history
Appealed from	United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
Appealed to	Supreme Court of the United States
Subsequent action(s)	Cert. denied.
Court membership
Judge(s) sitting	Robert Bruce King, Allison Jones Rushing, Toby J. Heytens
Case opinions
Decision by	King
Concurrence	Heytens
Dissent	Rushing
Keywords
Affirmative action Racial discrimination Equal protection Asian diaspora Education

Coalition for TJ v. Fairfax County School Board was an important court case about how students are chosen for Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJ). This school is a special public high school in Virginia.

In 2020, the school board changed its admissions rules. A group called the Coalition for TJ believed these changes were unfair to Asian Americans. They said the new rules discriminated against Asian American students.

The case went to different courts. First, a lower court (the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia) agreed with the Coalition for TJ in February 2022. But then, the school board appealed this decision. The next court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, changed the ruling in May 2023, siding with the school board.

The Coalition for TJ then asked the Supreme Court to hear their case. However, in February 2024, the Supreme Court decided not to take the case. This meant the Appeals Court's decision stood.

What Happened at TJ High School?

About Thomas Jefferson High School

Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJ) is a highly respected public school. It's known for its focus on science and technology. Students usually apply in eighth grade to start high school the next year. Each class has about 500 students.

How Admissions Changed

Before 2020, students applying to TJ had to take a special test. They also needed letters of recommendation and had to write essays.

In the fall of 2020, the Fairfax County School Board changed these rules.

• They removed the standardized test.
• They also got rid of the $100 application fee.
• A small number of spots were set aside for students from each public middle school in the area.
• Students were judged on their grades, essays, and "experience factors." These factors included things like if a student was economically disadvantaged, learning English, had special education needs, or came from a middle school that didn't send many students to TJ.

Impact of the New Rules

After the new rules, the number of Asian American students accepted to TJ went down. For the class of 2024 (under the old rules), Asian Americans made up 73% of accepted students. For the class of 2025 (under the new rules), this dropped to 54%.

At the same time, the number of white, Black, and Hispanic students accepted increased.

The Coalition for TJ is a group that focuses on this one issue. They were against the new admissions policy. They argued that the changes unfairly affected Asian applicants. They believed the school board wanted to change the racial makeup of the student body by reducing the number of Asian students. The Pacific Legal Foundation represented the Coalition for TJ in court.

Court Cases

District Court Decision

On March 10, 2021, the Coalition for TJ sued the school board. They argued that the new admissions policy was created to discriminate against Asian students. The case was heard by Judge Claude M. Hilton.

The Coalition for TJ tried twice to stop the school from using the new policy while the case was ongoing. Judge Hilton said no both times.

On February 25, 2022, Judge Hilton made his final decision. He agreed with the Coalition for TJ. He said the new policy was a way for the school board to achieve a certain racial balance. He felt it unfairly affected Asian American students. He ordered the school board to stop using the new admissions policy.

The school board then asked the judge to pause his order while they appealed. Judge Hilton said no to this request on March 11, 2022.

Appeals Court Decision

On March 14, 2022, the Fairfax County School Board appealed Judge Hilton's decision. They took their case to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. A lawyer named Donald B. Verrilli Jr. helped the school board for free (this is called pro bono).

The school board asked the Appeals Court to pause the lower court's order. On March 31, 2022, the Fourth Circuit Court agreed to pause the order. This meant the new admissions policy could continue to be used while the appeal was heard. Two judges, Robert Bruce King and Toby Heytens, agreed to the pause. Judge Allison Jones Rushing disagreed.

The Coalition for TJ then asked the Supreme Court of the United States to stop the Appeals Court's pause. Virginia and 15 other states supported the Coalition for TJ. But on April 25, 2022, the Supreme Court said no to their request. Three Justices, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, and Neil Gorsuch, disagreed with this decision.

The Appeals Court heard the full case on September 16, 2022. They made their final decision on May 23, 2023. By a vote of 2 to 1, the Fourth Circuit Court reversed the lower court's decision. This meant the new admissions plan was allowed to continue.

Supreme Court Decision

On August 21, 2023, the Coalition for TJ asked the Supreme Court to hear their case. This is called asking for certiorari.

However, on February 20, 2024, the Supreme Court decided not to hear the case. This meant the Appeals Court's decision was the final one. Justice Alito, joined by Justice Thomas, wrote a statement explaining why they thought the Supreme Court should have heard the case.