Latest news with #Miyares
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Yahoo
Virginia AG discusses law enforcement partnerships and initiatives among SWVA agencies
BRISTOL, Va. (WJHL) — Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares made a stop at the Bristol, Virginia Police Department on Monday to talk about the law enforcement partnerships on combating crime against the most vulnerable populations. Miyares was joined by Bristol, Virginia Police Chief Byron Ashbrook, Sheriff Tyrone Foster and Del. Israel O'Quinn. There was a heavy focus on the TRIAD program, a partnership between law enforcement, seniors, and senior organizations aimed at combating crime specifically targeting that group. Those at the press conference say scammers are becoming more advanced, so they want to make seniors aware of what could happen. And they say that loneliness is another epidemic among them. 'TRIAD is the definition of a partnership. It's about bringing law enforcement, senior citizens, and volunteers working together to help our aging population,' Miyares said. 'They're both getting information of what's happening in their community, tips from law enforcement as well as how to protect themselves but they're also doing something invaluable from a mental health standpoint, which is connecting seniors with other seniors and building friendships as a result.' Miyares says one in five Virginians are over the age of 65. In Southwest Virginia, they make up 22% of the population. He also called the partnership here a model for the rest of the Commonwealth. 'Seniors are often very engaged in their communities. They have something that a lot of us don't necessarily have that's very valuable and that's time,' Del. O'Quinn said. 'So they can pitch in and make this program better and bigger and more valuable for their friends and neighbors.' Starting July 1, the Bristol, Virginia Police Department will have a detective dedicated to crimes against children and the elderly. 'We are pulling one of the units from patrol. We are fully staffed now so one of those units will be going to the [Criminal Investigations Division] to help streamline this process in both elder abuse cases and child victims of crime cases,' Chief Ashbrook said. 'It's really important to have that continuity of care so child victims aren't seeing multiple different detectives because they go through a process if they've been a victim of crime or even a witness of crime through our children's advocacy center and through the court system and having one officer, one detective to be able to handle all that is important.' Another vulnerable population they want to focus on is those suffering mental health crises. BVPD has a co-response with the Community Support Program through the Department of Social Services. 'I'm not a mental health clinician, I'm not a doctor, but if I can keep the clinician safe and I can get the clinician to the scene, and they can do their work then it's the right response for the right type of call and it can help de-escalate situations,' Ashbrook said. 'We've seen it work in the past.' The Bristol, Virginia Sheriff's Office already has several initiatives in place to help keep children and seniors safe, including the D.A.R.E. drug awareness program, providing child identification kits, Project Lifesaver (a rapid response program for those who wander away from their caregivers), the One Pill Can Kill program, and Drug Take Back days. Sheriff Tyrone Foster says his office has provided Highlands Community Services with a deputy for the Crisis Intervention Team Assessment Center along with a location for the Mount Rogers Health District's Mobile Integrative Health Service Unit, which focuses on behavioral and mental health services. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Virginia Attorney General refers Loudoun County locker room case to federal authorities
The Brief Virginia Attorney General refers Loudoun County locker room case to federal authorities. Investigators examine possible Title IX violations following student complaints about school policy. LCPS defends its actions while parents argue their children faced discrimination. LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. - Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares has concluded his investigation into possible Title IX violations in Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS), referring the case to federal authorities for further review. The inquiry was launched after complaints from parents who alleged their sons were punished for objecting to LCPS's transgender policies. The controversy centers on an incident in the boys' locker room at Stone Bridge High School, where a student who identifies as male recorded video of an encounter with other students. The reason the student went into the locker room has not been disclosed. READ MORE: Loudoun County Public Schools board meeting turns heated as parents push back on Title IX probe According to Miyares, the boys involved were expressing sincere religious objections, while LCPS disputes that characterization. The case has become another focal point in the debate over Policy 8040, which LCPS adopted in 2021 in compliance with Virginia law. The policy allows students to use sex-separated facilities, such as locker rooms and restrooms, that correspond with their gender identity. During the incident, three boys under investigation were heard loudly questioning the presence of a student they perceived to be female, making statements such as, "There's a girl in here?" and "I'm so uncomfortable." LCPS subsequently launched a Title IX investigation to determine whether the interaction constituted harassment or discrimination. Parents of the boys argue that their children are the ones facing discrimination. One parent, Renae Smith, spoke ahead of a May 20 school board meeting, stating, "This school system has failed everybody. The policy, if you look at the facts, who felt safe in that situation? And the answer is no one and that's going to be my message tonight. No one felt safe, no one felt respected, and no one left that locker room with their dignity intact." VIDEO: Tensions rise at Loudoun County school board meeting What they're saying In a statement to FOX 5, LCPS said: "To be absolutely clear: Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) would not investigate or discipline students based on their personal opinions, thoughts, or beliefs, provided those expressions do not violate policies prohibiting hate speech, discriminatory language, threats, or other forms of harmful or disruptive conduct. However, LCPS does investigate and may take disciplinary action when student behavior violates LCPS' Student Rights & Responsibilities Handbook for Families and Student Code of Conduct." LCPS has not confirmed whether its investigation has been completed. Meanwhile, Miyares announced that he has referred LCPS and its school board to the U.S. Department of Education and the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division for further investigation. The Source Information in this article comes from Loudoun County Public Schools and Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Elite Virginia high school's admissions policy under Trump admin scrutiny amid discrimination complaints
One of the nation's most highly ranked high schools is once again in the spotlight over its admissions policies after the U.S. Department of Education announced it would be launching an investigation into the matter. The announcement comes after the state's Republican Attorney General, Jason Miyares, said his office has found reasonable cause after a multi-year investigation determining that Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST), which is overseen by Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) system, operates an admissions process that discriminates against applicants of Asian heritage. "The Fairfax County School Board made clear its intended outcome was to reduce opportunities for Asian American students—and that's exactly what occurred," Miyares said. "These students are not statistics. They are sons and daughters, neighbors, classmates and Virginians who deserve equal protection and opportunity under the law." The controversy began in 2020 when TJHSST made changes to its admissions policies to sensibly promote diversity. This was done through the elimination of standardized testing and application fees for interested students, implementing a holistic review process that considers factors like socioeconomic status and geographical location, and seething aside a certain number of spots for students from each middle school in the county. Federal Judge Blocks Trump Admin Moves To Dismantle Dept Of Education In response, parents filed a lawsuit against the district, alleging that the new admissions policy discriminated against asian students. A federal district court subsequently ruled in favor of the parents, but that ruling was later overturned by a federal appeals court. Read On The Fox News App The U.S. Supreme Court eventually declined to hear the case, effectively cementing the appeals court's ruling. Conservative Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented and warned of the possible implications the appeals court's ruling could have for other admissions policies at other schools across the country. Biden Education Dept Put Priority On Pronouns, Left Backlog Of Nearly 200 Antisemitism Complaints: Official Miyares has been investigating TJHSST's admissions policies since 2023, concluding this week that there was reasonable cause to determine FCPS was "discriminating against Asian American students." According to Miyares, when TJHSST first implemented its new admissions policy, Asian American students made up over 65% of the school's admitted classes. But over a period of just one year, Asian American admissions dropped 19 points, he noted. "Internal communications confirm that this outcome was intentional. The Board reviewed proposal after proposal until it could guarantee the racial 'diversity' the Board was after," Miyares office said. "And in the zero-sum game of school admissions, achieving the Board's preferred racial balance meant that fewer Asian American students would be accepted." Sparks Fly Between Education Secretary Linda Mcmahon And Dem Rep. Watson Coleman: 'You Should Feel Shameful' The Department of Justice said Wednesday it would work with the Department of Education to probe the potential Title VI violation, after Miyares' office referred the matter to them for investigation. The Trump administration has threatened to withhold funding from schools over potentially discriminatory diversity, equity and inclusion programs. In a statement to Fox News Digital, FCPS said the matter has already been adjudicated by the courts, which it said have determined there is no merit behind the allegations that its admissions policies are discriminatory. Nonetheless, the statement said the district was reviewing materials from the Attorney General and will issue a more detailed response in the near future. "This matter has already been fully litigated. A federal appellate court determined there was no merit to arguments that the admissions policy for Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology discriminates against any group of students," the statement read. "Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) division leadership and counsel are currently reviewing the documents released today by the Attorney General and will issue a more detailed response in the coming days. FCPS remains committed to providing a world-class education for all of our students."Original article source: Elite Virginia high school's admissions policy under Trump admin scrutiny amid discrimination complaints
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
AG Jason Miyares finds ‘reasonable cause' of Asian American discrimination at Fairfax County school
FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. (DC News Now) — Attorney General Jason Miyares has released a statement finding 'reasonable cause' that the Fairfax County Public Schools discriminated against Asian Americans at one of their charter schools. The fact sheet that was compiled describes a complicit and intentional effort by the Fairfax County School Board to roll back admission acceptance of Asian Americans at its Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. One member of the board stated wanting to move 'towards greater equity, to beclearly distinguished from equality,' according to Miyares. Woman's death in Anne Arundel County ruled as homicide after suspected overdose Admissions of Asian Americans were reduced from 73% to 54% in one year, according to Miyares. According to claims listed in the fact sheet, FCPS signed a $455,000 contract for nine months in 2022 with a California-based consultant. This consultant allegedly advised FCPS to pursue the goal of 'equal outcomes for every student, without exception' including committing 'purposefully unequal' action to achieve such goal, according to Miyares' fact sheet. Miyares said written messages were among the sources pulled to show school board members' acknowledgment of an 'anti asian feel.' Some messages included that the Superintendent '[c]ame right out of the gate blaming Asian students,' according to Miyares' fact sheet. The national ranking for Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology dropped from No. 1 to No. 14 and, Miyares said, occurred after the implementation of the new admission policy. The Office of the Attorney General has referred this matter to the U.S. Department of Educationand the U.S. Department of Justice for further enforcement under federal civil rights law. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump's attack on offshore wind is hurting Virginia. Why aren't Republican leaders fighting for us?
A boat with fishermen next to a Dominion Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind turbine in July 2023. (Charlie Paullin/VirginiaMercury) On May 5, attorneys general from 17 states and the District of Columbia — not including Virginia, regrettably — sued the Trump administration over its attacks on the wind industry. The lawsuit challenges an executive order, signed by President Donald J. Trump on his first day in office, stopping all approvals, permits and funding for wind projects across the country and offshore. Since the order was signed, the administration hasn't just blocked new projects, it's issued a stop-work order for one project under construction in New York and revoked a permit for another. The actions inflict enormous damage on the wind industry and on the economies of states that need the energy and jobs this industry could deliver. One state that will lose big under Trump's order is Virginia, which has positioned itself to be a national leader in offshore wind deployment, supply chain and manufacturing. On top of that, Virginia badly needs the electricity from offshore wind to help meet the demand from data centers; it can't afford to have a major new source of energy strangled in its infancy. Yet Attorney General Jason Miyares did not join the lawsuit. Will special rate classes protect Va. residents from the costs of serving data centers? Sure, Miyares wants to be a good soldier in the Trump putsch. And no doubt he wouldn't feel at home among all those Democratic AGs (there were no Republicans signing the complaint). But he could at least speak up in his state's interest. Some well-timed advocacy would go a long way in showing the administration that wind energy is not a partisan matter. It doesn't have to be just our attorney general, either. The silence from Gov. Glen Youngkin has been equally deafening. What are they afraid of? Youngkin can't run for reelection, and Miyares has already secured his party's nomination in his bid for reelection this fall. Youngkin vetoes clean energy bills supported by Dominion, environmental groups Any politician who styles himself as pro-business ought to be pushing back on the Trump administration's interference with contracts, destruction of American jobs and infliction of billions of dollars in damage to a growing domestic industry. Especially when it is happening to their own state, the big risk is in not speaking out. And let's face it, attacking wind energy is Trump's own peculiar hobbyhorse, not his party's. Though Republican support for wind energy has dropped a bit in recent years, it remains above 50%. Onshore wind is the largest source of electricity in Iowa and South Dakota and a major source in several other Republican strongholds. Wind power is responsible for billions of dollars in economic investment while keeping utility rates low in states that rely on it. Offshore wind is more expensive, but states have embraced it for its potential to lower electricity bills over time while relieving grid congestion, creating well-paying jobs and providing clean, zero-carbon power to East Coast cities. Thirteen states have established offshore wind development goals, totaling over 112 gigawatts (GW) by 2050. In Virginia, Republican leaders have been among the biggest boosters of offshore wind for more than 15 years. Legislators from both parties supported the creation of the Virginia Offshore Wind Development Authority. With a boost from then-Gov. Bob McDonnell, the Virginia Department of Energy partnered with Dominion Energy on a research project that produced the nation's first offshore wind turbines in federal waters. Republican support also paved the way for Dominion's development of the 2.6 GW Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project, now more than halfway to completion and expected to begin delivering electricity next year. Nor is CVOW a one-off; the Virginia Clean Economy Act declares twice as much offshore wind power to be 'in the public interest.' At the offshore wind International Partnering Forum held in Virginia Beach last month, Dominion displayed a poster of the projects it has in the works. These include a project off Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, which Dominion acquired last October, as well as a huge lease area east of CVOW, which Dominion secured in a lease auction from the federal government last August. All told, Dominion's projects could deliver a total of 9 GW of clean, renewable power. As important as the energy itself is, Virginia leaders believe offshore wind can be a driver of economic development and job creation for the Hampton Roads area. The Virginia Economic Development Partnership touts Virginia's strategic location, strong maritime industry and ready workforce as draws for businesses up and down the offshore wind supply chain. Some businesses have already set up shop in Virginia to serve the industry. These include most recently a Korean subsea cable manufacturer that is investing almost $700 million for a facility in Chesapeake. Gov. Glen Youngkin was on hand for the groundbreaking last month, calling it 'a proud moment for Virginia.' Attracting the company was only possible because of Virginia's commitment to the wind industry – as well as the availability of federal tax credits that Trump also intends to eliminate. CVOW will likely survive Trump's attacks (albeit at a higher cost due to his tariffs), but Virginia's ability to develop an offshore wind workforce and supply chain are very much at risk. The Trump administration's war on wind power already threatens developers with losses in the billions of dollars. With permitting at a halt, companies are headed for the exits instead of creating the project pipeline necessary for offshore wind to become the powerhouse industry that it is in Europe and Asia. Trump may have planned his economic sabotage to hurt northeastern states with Democratic governors, but the collateral damage to Virginia is considerable. As it is, our economy has taken a hit from Trump's mass firings of federal workers, thousands of whom live here. We can't afford to lose four years of offshore wind progress for no better reason than that Trump wills it. Silence is not an acceptable response. Miyares and Youngkin must speak up for Virginia. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
