At least seven high schools in Fairfax County, Virginia, and three high schools in neighboring Loudoun County have admitted to withholding National Merit awards from students this academic year, prompting Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares to launch a civil rights investigation.
In a phone call with an affected parent, Brandon Kosatka, director of student services at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, admitted they did not issue the awards to avoid hurting the feelings of those not awarded. Asian American students are highly represented among the recipients, and some believe withholding the awards to be an act
