Whether the Fairfax County School Board violated the Equal Protection Clause when it overhauled the admissions criteria at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology

QUESTION PRESENTED In 2020, the Fairfax County School Board (Board) overhauled its admissions to Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJ). The Coalition for TJ, a group of parents and students within the school district, alleged that those changes were adopted to racially balance the freshman class by excluding Asian Americans. The district court agreed and granted summary judgment to the Coalition. Over a dissent by Judge Rushing, a panel of the Fourth Circuit reversed. Despite evidence that the Board chose the new criteria to further its racial balancing goal—and evidence that the policy substantially reduced both the raw number and the proportion of Asian Americans admitted—the Fourth Circuit held that the admissions changes did not violate the Equal Protection Clause. The question presented is whether the Board violated the Equal Protection Clause when it overhauled the admissions criteria at TJ.