Eighty days. That is how long Fairfax’s chief prosecutor took to speak with the mother of Stephanie Minter, the 41-year-old woman murdered at a bus stop in late February by a repeat violent offender and illegal alien.
Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano waited until the cameras were rolling at a House Judiciary hearing investigating the role his policies and practices may have played in Stephanie’s death. He could have called. He didn’t. He could have visited. He didn’t. Descano even avoided the opportunity to meet Cheryl and Stephanie’s brother, Ashton, in private immediately before the hearing. Instead of waiting in the anteroom reserved for him adjacent to Cheryl’s, Descano hid in the Democratic committee offices. When he did emerge minutes before the hearing, he <a href="https://x.com/NickMinock/status/2054930429031964843">walked right behind</a> Cheryl. He didn’t stop. He averted his eyes, then tapped former Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares on the back and shook his hand.
I know because I was there, seated next to Cheryl Minter at the witness table.
He then delivered his opening statement full of crocodile tears but no mea culpa for having allowed Stephanie’s killer, Abdul Jalloh, to go free time after time. Under Descano’s watch, Jalloh had been arrested more than 30 times, faced more than 40 charges, including five separate malicious-wounding charges (Virginia’s equivalent of attempted murder) from 2023 to 2025.
In November 2025, police <a href="https://www.fox5dc.com/news/fairfax-police-warned-prosecutors-about-repeat-offender-months-before-deadly-bus-stop-stabbing">warned</a> Descano’s top deputy that Jalloh would “maliciously wound (or worse)” someone again if prosecutors let him go free. They did. He killed Stephanie three months later.
The House Judiciary committee’s hearing last week focused largely on the Fairfax Commonwealth’s Attorney’s “immigration consequences” policy, which directs line prosecutors to “consider immigration consequences where possible and where doing so accords with justice [and] … the detrimental impact that deportation/removal has on the families and communities those removed or deported leave behind.”
That policy clearly suggests that illegal immigrants or any deportable alien earns preferential treatment under Descano’s “<a href="https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/commonwealthattorney/plea-bargaining-charging-decisions-and-sentencing-policy">Plea Bargaining, Charging Decisions, and Sentencing Policy</a>” guidelines promulgated in December 2020, the year he took office.
But under questioning from GOP committee members, Descano repeatedly disputed that, pointing (albeit inarticulately) to the last lines of his policy: “[t]he resolution will be different in a way that avoids or lessens collateral immigration consequences, but will not be better than a resolution offered to a defendant that does not face such collateral issues.”
Different but the same. Got it.
In a heated exchange, House Judiciary chairman Jim Jordan interrogated Descano about <a href="https://www.acluva.org/ray-morrogh-and-steve-descanos-responses-aclu-vas-questionnaire-criminal-justice-reform/">prior pledges</a> to discriminate in favor of criminal alien defendants. Notably, Jordan waived a printout of Descano’s <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20260310203213/https:/stevedescano.com/community">campaign website </a>(which he deleted before the hearing) that declared “Steve’s office will take immigration consequences into account when making charging and plea decisions … If two people commit the same crime, but only one’s punishment includes deportation, that’s a perversion of justice and not a reflection of the values of Fairfax County.”
The same but different. Again.
Here, Descano withered under Jordan’s questioning, trying to distinguish his campaign promises from his official policies, saying he couldn’t “believe people would be so obtuse that they couldn’t realize what the difference was between a campaign statement and an actual office policy.”
For Fairfax’s chief prosecutor, it went downhill from there. A few of the committee’s Democrats ceded their time to Descano to better explain himself, instead preferring to lean in on anti-ICE rhetoric and their witnesses’ generic pro-illegal immigration arguments.
One theme that emerged as a counternarrative was that Fairfax was the “safest county of its size in the United States.”
Democratic Representative Pramila Jayapal also asked Descano if the Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA) rated Fairfax County “among the safest jurisdictions of its size.” Descano gleefully concurred. Reps. Jamie Raskin and Jerrold Nadler repeated the claim.
But they all omitted the alarming trend that the same <a href="https://majorcitieschiefs.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/MCCA-Violent-Crime-Report-2026-and-2025-First-Quarter.pdf">data</a> actually shows violent crime has skyrocketed since Steve Descano became Fairfax’s chief prosecutor and hasn’t fallen even as it has plummeted elsewhere.
Overall, Fairfax County&#8217;s violent crime — murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault — was up 92% in 2025 compared with 2019. Meanwhile, “<a href="https://www.fcpod.org/pages/crime-data">crimes against persons</a>,” which includes all violent crimes, sex offenses, and simple assaults, rose 27% according to the Fairfax County Police Department.
So, Fairfax is less safe since Descano became its prosecutor. Meanwhile, in nearby Montgomery County, Maryland, which is almost exactly the same size as Fairfax but has a tough-on-crime prosecutor in Democrat John McCarthy, the <a href="https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/montgomery-county-police-department/public-safety-data/annual-crime-safety-reports">crime rate </a>has fallen below that of <a href="https://wjla.com/news/local/why-is-montgomery-countys-violent-crime-rate-twice-as-high-as-fairfax-countys">famously safe</a> <a href="https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/03bcc658f4f44662ab70308157c31d0e">Fairfax County</a> for both property and person crimes.
Similarly sized Suffolk County, New York (which does cooperate with ICE) has also seen crime drop during the period.
But those abstract figures distract from the deeply personal human tragedy that Descano’s policies have wrought. By shielding criminal aliens from “immigration consequences,” hundreds, if not thousands, of violent and sex crimes could have been prevented, including over a dozen murders.
In addition to extending extreme leniency to Abdul Jalloh, Descano freed Marvin Morales-Ortez, who was previously arrested for murder years before, and released him after dropping charges for malicious wounding and brandishing a firearm in December 2025. Within 24 hours, Ortez allegedly killed a man in Reston. Or Maldin Anibal Guzman, who, despite being arrested nine times, including for at least two prior attempted murders, was freed to kill a man behind a convenience store in 2024. Just last month, Guzman received only five years for that killing.
In all three cases (Jalloh, Ortez, and Guzman), Descano offered the same excuse: witness noncooperation or unavailability. It is never Mr. Descano’s fault, you see. Except in the Jalloh cases, he was caught red-handed lying to the media. In at least two of Jalloh’s prior attempted murders, Fairfax prosecutors never even bothered to <a href="https://wjla.com/newsletter-daily/descano-says-victims-wouldnt-aid-abdul-jalloh-prosecution-heres-what-we-found-illegal-immigrant-fairfax-county-commonwealths-attorney-steve-descano-testimony">subpoena</a> the witnesses.
And Descano’s pattern of lying was on full display at the hearing when he attempted to rebut multiple members who questioned him about the illegal alien pedophile Hyrum Baquedano Rodriguez’s case (my detailed testimony is <a href="https://judiciary.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/republicans-judiciary.house.gov/files/2026-05/Kennedy-Testimony.pdf">here</a>).
Descano tried to plea out the would-be kidnapper and rapist of a four-year-old to a maximum of two years, who potentially faced life in prison, saying he “did not have strong evidence.” Two separate judges rejected the plea as too lenient. In a fit, Descano dropped the charges altogether, and Baquedano-Rodriguez, who had an extensive history of child sex crimes, would have walked free if the girl’s grandmother had not herself called ICE to pick him up. He has since been deported — no thanks to Mr. Descano’s policy of thwarting “immigration consequences.”
As damning as the hearing was for Mr. Descano, his implied defense that he engages in unlawful discrimination based on immigration status is persuasive, if unsettling: Fairfax’s chief prosecutor is not soft on dangerous criminal aliens — he is equally lenient toward violent repeat offenders of all backgrounds.
The Department of Justice has launched an investigation to find out the truth. Whatever DOJ finds, one thing is already clear: Fairfax County victims are being re-victimized by the man entrusted with protecting them.
***
Sean Kennedy is the president of Virginians for Safe Communities, a nonprofit public safety and victims’ rights advocacy group, and a member of the Fairfax County Criminal Justice Advisory Board. He testified alongside Descano at the May 14, 2026, hearing on Fairfax County’s Sanctuary policies.

Fairfax County, Virginia: The Dangerous Consequences of Sanctuary Policies

My Front Row Seat To The Soros DA Letting Criminals Walk Free

Criminal Justice

DW Opinion

Fairfax County

George Soros

Another illegal immigrant has been accused of murder in Virginia.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) identified Anibal Armando Chavarria Muy, 38, who allegedly repeatedly stabbed a man to death in Fairfax County Sunday, as a &#8220;criminal illegal alien from Guatemala,&#8221; <a href="https://wjla.com/news/local/baileys-crossroads-deadly-stabbing-murder-anibal-armando-chavarria-muy-charged-fairfax-county-virginia-crime" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to ABC7.
Authorities found the victim inside a home with multiple stab wounds in his upper body Sunday, ABC7 reported. He later died at the hospital.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lodged a detainer with the Fairfax County Sheriff&#8217;s Office, which has notoriously flouted the federal immigration agency&#8217;s demands to hand over illegal immigrant criminals.
Meanwhile, DHS has placed the blame on Democratic Governor Abigail Spanberger for the tragic killing, calling her out for another recent murder by an illegal immigrant.
Sierra Leone national Abdul Jalloh, 32, who had 30 prior arrests, allegedly murdered 41-year-old mother Stephanie Minter at a Fairfax County bus stop last month. Jalloh&#8217;s rap sheet included arrests for rape, malicious wounding, assault, drug possession, identity theft, trespassing, larceny, firing a weapon, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and pickpocketing, according to DHS.
Spanberger earlier said ICE&#8217;s detainer for Jalloh&#8217;s arrest wouldn’t be enough for local law enforcement to hand him over to immigration authorities for deportation.
&#8220;ICE is calling on Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger and Virginia&#8217;s sanctuary politicians to not release this murderer back into our communities,” DHS Acting Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Lauren Bis told ABC7. “This incident comes just one month after an innocent woman was murdered by another criminal illegal alien at a bus stop in Spanberger’s state. Open-border policies yet again have caused another preventable tragedy.”
When Spanberger entered office, she ended a cooperation agreement between state and local law enforcement and ICE. The day after Minter&#8217;s murder, the governor characterized ICE as “unaccountable agents” who “terrorize our communities&#8221; in the Democratic response to the State of the Union.
In almost every one of Jalloh&#8217;s previous cases, Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano’s office dropped the charges, ABC7 previously <a href="https://wjla.com/news/local/illegal-immigrant-with-long-criminal-record-accused-of-killing-woman-in-fairfax-county-abdul-emails-jalloh-stephanie-minter-commonwealths-attorney-steve-descano" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
Authorities also previously warned about the dangers he posed to the community.
An officer with the Fairfax County Police Department notified Descano’s office in November, cautioning that he could continue to commit crimes if he&#8217;s released, according to emails obtained by 7News reporter Nick Minock.
Muy was charged with second-degree murder and is being held without bond, <a href="https://fcpdnews.wordpress.com/2026/03/30/officers-quickly-arrest-suspect-after-fatal-stabbing-in-baileys-crossroads/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Fairfax County Police Department.
DHS said he snuck into the country as a &#8220;gotaway,&#8221; which means he made it past border authorities without detection, according to ABC7.
Muy also had an assault and battery charge from November 2024, when he was accused of punching a woman and attempting to strangle her, the outlet reported. A judge later dismissed the charge.
The Arlington Commonwealth’s Attorney said the charge &#8220;was dismissed at the request of the victim pursuant to 19.2-151, an accord and satisfaction,” in a statement to ABC7.
“Under that statute, the courts have discretion to dismiss a misdemeanor assault case (which this was charged as) when a defendant pays restitution to a victim. Here, the victim had expressed that the most important issue to them was restitution, which was paid. We try to honor the wishes of a victim, even though I do not favor resolution of cases by accord and satisfaction where violence is involved,&#8221; the attorney said.

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Illegal Immigrant Accused Of Another Brutal Virginia Murder

abigail spanberger

Department of Homeland Security

Illegal Immigration

Virginia

Santa&#8217;s naughty list this year includes several sanctuary cities and states that allowed illegal immigrant criminals to roam their streets, many of whom went on to commit more egregious crimes.
Sanctuary cities and states adopt policies that prevent local police from notifying federal immigration authorities about the looming release of illegal immigrants from local jails. They also bar federal authorities from entering jails to interview illegal immigrant suspects.
The Trump administration has sued several sanctuary jurisdictions, including Minnesota, New York City, Boston, Illinois, and Los Angeles, over the policies.
These are some of the worst offenders.
<h4>New York City</h4>
Since President Donald Trump&#8217;s inauguration, local police in New York City released roughly 7,000 illegal immigrants from local jails without honoring Immigration and Customs Enforcement&#8217;s detainer requests to have them placed into federal custody, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
They account for nine homicides, 2,509 assaults, 199 burglaries, 305 robberies, 392 dangerous drugs offenses, 300 weapons offenses, and 207 sexual predatory offenses.
Mario Bustamante-Leiva, 49, the Chilean illegal immigrant accused of snatching Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem&#8217;s purse in Washington, D.C., in April, was arrested in New York for a similar crime just a few weeks earlier — but they let him go with a desk appearance ticket and a court date, <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/04/28/us-news/illegal-migrant-accused-in-kristi-noems-purse-snatching-had-ny-arrest-warrant-out/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the New York Post.
He never showed up to that scheduled court date and bounced over to the nation&#8217;s capital to allegedly purse snatch the cabinet official.
In a separate example of the sanctuary&#8217;s consequences, the two Dominican illegal immigrants accused in the shooting of an off-duty Customs and Border Protection officer in New York City in July both had rap sheets.
One of them, Christhian Aybar-Berroa, 22, was arrested by the NYPD eight times and released each time prior to the attack, <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/07/21/us-news/illegal-migrant-arrested-in-nyc-shooting-of-off-duty-cpb-agent-was-free-despite-long-rap-sheet-and-suspected-in-scooter-robbery-spree-sources/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the New York Post. He also had a deportation order from January 2023.
Miguel Francisco Mora Nunez, 21, also racked up several arrests in New York City, including for allegedly assaulting a pregnant woman and threatening to kill a fellow migrant with a machete, according to the New York Post.
He was also wanted on kidnapping and weapons charges out of Massachusetts, the outlet previously reported.
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<h4>Illinois</h4>
Authorities in Illinois have released more than 1,700 criminal illegal immigrants with ICE detainer requests from local jails since Inauguration Day, according to DHS.
The Trump administration commenced &#8220;Operation Midway Blitz&#8221; in September to target the sanctuary city of Chicago and arrest illegal immigrants released by local authorities.
ICE has current detainers lodged against roughly 4,000 illegal immigrants in state custody, according to DHS.
Democratic Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson responded to the federal operation by creating &#8220;ICE-free zones&#8221; across the Windy City.
In October, local police were reportedly told to stand down from assisting Border Patrol agents, who “were rammed by vehicles and boxed in by 10 cars” in Broadview, Illinois, Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin <a href="https://x.com/TriciaOhio/status/1974524869892276682" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on X at the time.
Agents determined that one of the alleged attackers was &#8220;armed with a semi-automatic weapon,&#8221; forcing them to “fire defensive shots at an unarmed U.S. citizen,” according to McLaughlin.
<h4>Minnesota</h4>
When ICE descended on Minneapolis earlier this month, leaders in the sanctuary state were quick to side with illegal immigrants roaming the state.
Democratic Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey responded to the increased presence of federal immigration authorities by pledging to continue to refuse cooperation with ICE.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey says he will not allow police officers to cooperate with ICE to get criminal illegal aliens off the streets.
FREY: “Officers will not coordinate with any federal agency that is doing immigration law enforcement work.” <a href="https://t.co/zNLosBiKYw">pic.twitter.com/zNLosBiKYw</a>
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1998063894112133546?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
Democratic Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who has likened ICE to “Trump’s modern-day Gestapo,” condemned the agency&#8217;s actions in his state.
The federal operation resulted in roughly 400 arrests of illegal immigrants.
Somali immigrant Abdimahat Bille Mohamed was let go as part of a plea agreement in two sexual assault cases earlier this year before he went on to allegedly rape a child and multiple adult women before allegedly kidnapping a woman and raping her, <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/serial-kidnapper-and-rapist-charged-federally" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Department of Justice, which has since charged him federally.
“This Somali national in Minnesota is charged with raping a minor and multiple adult women before being detained — only to be quickly released by a local court, after which he committed yet another rape. This horrific case illustrates how left-wing soft-on-crime policies and vetting failures put innocent people at dire risk. If Minnesota will not protect its own people, the Department of Justice will do it for them,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said of the case earlier this month.
<h4>Fairfax County, Virginia</h4>
Authorities in Fairfax County, Virginia, released Salvadoran migrant Marvin Morales-Ortez, 23, who allegedly went on to murder a man less than 24 hours later.
Morales-Ortez allegedly fatally shot a man inside his Reston, Virginia, home after he was released from a local jail by authorities who ignored a federal immigration detainer to hand him over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to multiple reports.
Morales-Ortez crossed the southern border illegally in 2016, federal law enforcement sources recently told The Daily Wire.
An immigration judge dismissed his deportation case in 2022, effectively allowing him to stay in the country without any legal status, sources said.
He was also tagged as a suspected member of the violent MS-13 gang, according to ABC7.
Morales-Ortez had a lengthy rap sheet before committing his latest alleged crime.
In 2021, he was charged with first-degree murder, according to ABC7. He spent a year and a half in jail while awaiting trial, but was ultimately released after the authorities dropped the charges following a determination that someone else was to blame.
Morales-Ortez was found guilty of a previous theft case and fined $300, which he never paid, according to ABC7.
The illegal immigrant was charged for allegedly brandishing a gun and assaulting and injuring someone before he was released by sanctuary authorities this latest time, the local outlet reported.
The Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office dropped the case, leading to his release.
After a lengthy manhunt, authorities rearrested him.
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Fairfax County has notoriously operated as a sanctuary jurisdiction, routinely releasing illegal immigrants from jail without notifying ICE, <a href="https://cis.org/Map-Sanctuary-Cities-Counties-and-States" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Center for Immigration Studies.
&#8220;The sanctuary politicians of Fairfax County, VA have blood on their hands,&#8221; DHS said in response to the county&#8217;s handling of the latest illegal immigrant crime.
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Participants seen holding a banner at the protest. A group

These Sanctuary Cities And States Are On The Naughty List This Year

Deportations

Illinois

Minnesota

New York City

Sanctuary Cities

Trump Administration

U.S.

WASHINGTON—A Virginia school district has been accused of pushing minor Hispanic students to abort their unborn babies — a move that Louisiana Republican Senator Bill Cassidy is warning may have violated federal law.
In a letter exclusively obtained by The Daily Wire, the Louisiana Republican calls on Fairfax County Public Schools to explain <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/whistleblower-uncovers-secret-abortion-scandal-at-virginia-high-school-parents-deserve-better">whether it paid for the abortion</a> of a young girl&#8217;s baby, without her parents&#8217; knowledge or consent, and warns the district that &#8220;a school official pressuring minor students to obtain covert abortions using school funding is illegal and, if proven, requires concrete action by your school board to hold the perpetrators accountable.&#8221;
Fairfax County Public Schools did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Daily Wire. However, in August, Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Michelle Reid claimed that the district had only just learned about the allegations that week and stated that such behavior would never have been tolerated.
&#8220;We will see this investigation through with the utmost seriousness, taking swift and appropriate action once we have the facts,&#8221; Reid <a href="https://www.fairfaxtimes.com/articles/governor-orders-criminal-probe-into-alleged-abortions-at-centreville-high-school/article_a1c3bc41-9b17-4ac1-8187-70eaa7de4ca3.html">said</a>. “It is my commitment to share the key findings of that investigation as soon as I am able.&#8221;
Cassidy, a physician who chairs the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, writes that in 2021, school officials arranged and paid to abort the baby of a young girl, a minor student, and &#8220;attempted to do the same for another student&#8221; without the consent of these girls&#8217; parents. The incident took place at Centreville High School, where school social worker Carolina Diaz allegedly pressured two girls to abort their babies and used school funds to pay for the abortions. A whistleblower teacher says that she brought her concerns to school administrators seven times without success.
&#8220;One 17-year-old girl ultimately had an abortion, while another student who was five months pregnant fled from the abortion clinic in fear after being pressured to have an abortion,&#8221; Cassidy wrote. &#8220;Both of these young girls allege that the school social worker, Carolina Diaz, pressured them into having abortions and told one of the girls that she &#8216;had no other choice.&#8217; On top of the already horrific situation of a school official pressuring minor students to obtain  abortions, it is alleged that school funds were used to pay for the abortion.&#8221;
The senator expresses deep concerns that Fairfax County Public Schools &#8220;seems to be concealing the fact that these allegations were brought to the school&#8217;s attention years ago but ignored by school officials.&#8221;
&#8220;Public reporting states that a Centreville High School teacher, Zenaida Perez, claims to have notified school officials about the abortions seven separate times since May 2022, only to be ignored and then retaliated against for blowing the whistle on this conduct,&#8221; wrote Cassidy. &#8220;However, in an email to Centreville High School staff and families on August 7, 2025, you claim that the school board  only learned about these allegations &#8216;earlier this week.'&#8221; 
Virginia Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin <a href="https://www.governor.virginia.gov/newsroom/news-releases/2025/august/name-1054950-en.html">directed state police to open a criminal investigation</a> into the allegations on August 13, noting that school funds may have been used to abort babies, including local, state, and federal funds.
&#8220;I am deeply concerned with the allegations that Fairfax County Public Schools officials arranged for minors to get abortions without parental consent and may have misused public funds to pay for them,&#8221; Youngkin said at the time. &#8220;I am directing the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation to open a full criminal investigation into the matter immediately.&#8221;
FCPS receives about $50 million a year in financial aid from the federal government, Cassidy noted, and the Hyde Amendment prohibits federal education funding from being used to fund abortions.
&#8220;As Chairman of the HELP Committee, I am determined to ensure that federal education funds are not being misused in violation of the law and parents’ rights to protect their children,&#8221; wrote Cassidy. &#8220;Given the seriousness of the allegations and the potential that federal funds were used by school officials to  pressure minor students into receiving covert abortions without parental consent, it is imperative  for the Committee to determine whether any federal funds were misused and whether the Hyde Amendment or other relevant laws were violated.&#8221; 
The senator called on FCPS to share, by October 6, their reporting requirements when school officials become aware that a student is pregnant. He also requested that the district share &#8220;what actions, if any, are taken in response to a school&#8217;s awareness of a student&#8217;s pregnancy.&#8221;
&#8220;In your response,&#8221; he notes, &#8220;please detail the reporting structure and provide any school-issued guidance or policy documents.&#8221; 
Sarah Zagorski, senior director of public relations and communication at Americans United for Life, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/whistleblower-uncovers-secret-abortion-scandal-at-virginia-high-school-parents-deserve-better">argued to The Daily Wire in early September</a> that &#8220;parents deserve better&#8221; than the alleged treatment at the school. She mentioned a Fairfax County school board meeting where parents, educators, and community leaders asked questions about the alleged coerced abortions, questioning &#8220;whether these were isolated incidents or part of a broader pattern of overriding parental rights and disregarding state law.&#8221;
&#8220;The allegations are deeply troubling given both of the girls involved were underage. [Teacher and whistleblower Zenaida Perez] says that one student, who was five months pregnant and wanting to keep her baby, said she felt like she &#8216;had no choice.&#8217; The other girl told Perez she was terrified because her legal guardians did not know about her abortion.&#8221;
&#8220;Children need protection and parental guidance, especially when faced with an unplanned pregnancy, not forced secrecy by adults attempting to usurp fundamental rights of parents to make decisions regarding the well-being of their children,&#8221; wrote Zagorski. &#8220;Girls from marginalized communities, including Hispanic girls from Centreville High School, deserve better than betrayal from people they should trust and cover-ups by school bureaucrats.&#8221;

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Virginia School May Have Illegally Pushed Minor Students To Have Abortions, Senator Warns

Abortion

bill Cassidy

Glenn Youngkin

Staff at one of America’s top public high schools appeared to have violated Virginia law by sharing its intellectual property with an organization that took millions of dollars from Chinese entities looking to “clone” the school, according to emails reviewed by The Daily Wire.  
New emails obtained by Defending Education show staff at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria collecting information on its textbooks and science labs to send to a Chinese company, as well as admissions from the school’s principal that previous intellectual property sharing had “violated state law.”
The school has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/virginia-school-system-sold-china-a-handbook-on-how-to-clone-americas-top-stem-school">faced criticism</a> for sharing its blueprints and curriculum with Chinese entities looking to replicate the school in China. The new emails shed more light on the lengths staff went to share information with the school’s “international partners&#8221; and reveal that state laws may have been broken in the process. 
In an August 21, 2019 email to staff, then Principal Ann Bonitatibus said that staff at the high school and the Thomas Jefferson Partnership Fund, a nonprofit supporting renovations at the school, appeared to break the law by selling its intellectual property.
The Thomas Jefferson Partnership Fund received $3.6 million between 2014 and 2021 from Chinese entities like the Ameson Foundation, which had a contract with the partnership fund to help China nearly identical schools. In May, Defending Education <a href="https://defendinged.org/defending-education-request-investigation-into-the-activities-of-the-thomas-jefferson-high-school-for-science-and-technology-partnership-fund-inc/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filed</a> a complaint with the IRS demanding an investigation into the fund over its foreign funding. 
“[Thomas Jefferson Partnership Fund] staff shall not request from, or compensate, [high school staff] staff for ‘deliverables’ that replicate, mirror or otherwise transmit [Fairfax County Public Schools] intellectual property,” the principal <a href="https://defendinged.org/incidents/thomas-jefferson-high-school-principal-appeared-unfazed-that-school-possibly-broke-state-law-by-partnering-with-china-affiliated-groups/">wrote</a>. “In the summer of 2017, I became aware of HSTI contracts that did such and immediately ended the practice and notified you it violated state law. I have consistently shared with Board leadership that FCPS/TJ staff cannot sell our brand or intellectual property which includes curriculum design, assessments, program design, etc.”
Fairfax County Public Schools did not respond to requests for comment for clarification on what actions were taken in response to the purported violations of state law. 
That came after Bonitatibus said that high school staff were not allowed to use Fairfax County Public School resources during their contractual time to do work for the Thomas Jefferson Partnership Fund. She said that a staff member was previously found to be doing work for the partnership fund without the knowledge of school leadership. 
In the same email, Bonitatibus seemed to shrug off concerns about the situation. 
“As stated during our meeting, I believe all parties are acting with good intentions. It can be difficult to navigate the complex scenarios that arise, and we’re here to partner with you and work together to benefit the TJ staff, students and broader community,&#8221; she wrote. 
In light of the alleged legal violations, she asked that any materials gathered for Shirble HK, a Chinese department store incorporated in the Cayman Islands, be run through her. Shirble gave $1.5 million to the partnership fund between 2016-2021. 
“As a result, I respectfully request that copies of any materials generated by our current or prior teachers this past summer 2019 for Shirble be provided to [redacted] and me for review,” Bonitatibus wrote. 
Shirble has <a href="https://freebeacon.com/national-security/top-us-high-school-traded-curriculum-for-donations-in-secretive-business-deals-with-ccp-tied-groups-irs-complaint-says/">troubling ties</a> to the Chinese Communist Party. Yang Xiangbo, the company’s former chair, has attended meetings at the United Front’s Chinese People’s Political Consultive Conference and previously said that CCP officials stopped by the stores &#8220;to guide the work and put forward ardent expectations for Shirble.&#8221;
Other emails obtained by Defending Education show that high school staff compiled detailed information on the school’s research labs and curriculum for Shirble. For example, on June 10, 2019, an employee of the partnership fund emailed a teacher at the high school saying that Shirble wanted to know “about ALL our Senior Research Labs.”
“I have a special request for you. Our current International Partners, Shirble, have specifically asked to know more about ALL our Senior Research Labs as they are going to work on building some of their own,” the employee wrote, adding that Shirble wanted the “curriculum design, equipment needed, lab layout, and possible senior work projects for their own version of the lab.” 
The employee told the teacher that the partnership fund would pay the teacher “at a rate of Pay Band 11 for up to 15 hours total of work.” By August 15, 2019, the teacher had responded and provided a detailed document on course structure, equipment used, and lab policies. 
<div id="attachment_943669" style="width: 1456px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-943669" class="size-full wp-image-943669" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-07-at-11.52.24%E2%80%AFAM.png" alt="" width="1446" height="1164" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-07-at-11.52.24%E2%80%AFAM.png 1446w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-07-at-11.52.24%E2%80%AFAM-300x241.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-07-at-11.52.24%E2%80%AFAM-716x576.png 716w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-07-at-11.52.24%E2%80%AFAM-768x618.png 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1446px) 100vw, 1446px" />Document compiled for Shirble.</div>
Earlier in the year, a representative from the partnership fund requested that the school provide a list of all the textbooks it uses for Shirble. 
“One of our international partners, Shirble, has asked for a list of text books that we use for certain specific classes,” the representative <a href="https://defendinged.org/incidents/fairfax-county-public-schools-provided-china-affiliated-organization-with-curriculum-information-used-for-students/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>. “Do we have a main list anywhere I can access? Or is it best for me to send you the list? Or go through Dept heads?”
In response, assistant principal Volita Russell began circulating requests to staff to compile the textbook lists. Lists of texts used for English, biology, chemistry, physics, geosystems, health, French, math, computer science, and history were all gathered. 
Russell indicated in an email that she would be getting the sharing of textbooks approved, but it is unclear if the lists were ever sent to Shirbel. 
Defending Education Vice President Sarah Parshall Perry told The Daily Wire that Fairfax County Public Schools has a “history of malfeasance” including its sharing of school materials with Chinese entities.  
“What&#8217;s more, is that TJ&#8217;s principal appeared to acknowledge that the school broke state law by providing China-affiliated groups with its intellectual property,&#8221; she said. &#8220;As if that wasn&#8217;t enough, further communications revealed through our public records requests indicate that TJ&#8217;s relationship with Shirble Department Store Holdings in China included the apparent provision of specific curricular inclusions (including textbooks) for use by Shirble.&#8221;

Thomas Jefferson High School admitted less than 10 black students to the Class of 2024 sparking outrage and debate

Nation’s Top Public High School ‘Violated’ Law By Sharing Info With Chinese Group, Emails Show

Communist China

Education

In the same Virginia county whose Board of Supervisors once voted to <a href="https://www.potomaclocal.com/2021/03/29/fairfax-restricts-flags-declares-moral-bankruptcy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">restrict the size of American flags</a>, the county’s Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/virginia-county-declares-trans-visibility-day-easter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">observe its Transgender Day of Visibility on Easter</a>, March 31, this year.
Although March 31 is the date when the Transgender Day of Visibility is marked every year, critics are furious that the holiest day on the Christian calendar will see the transgender celebration. County Board Chairman Jeff McKay, a Democrat, said the decision was the board’s “moral responsibility to stand up for all people, not just the people we like or the people we agree with.”
Supervisor Jimmy Bierman, another Democrat, echoed, “I&#8217;m just very happy that we&#8217;re recognizing a community that has too often been pushed into the shadows and celebrating yet another community within our diverse tapestry here in Fairfax County,” adding that the county wants “to make sure that everybody who&#8217;s a part of our community feels welcomed, feels loved and feels empowered.”
One Republican member of the board,  Patrick Herrity, was absent for the vote, prompting Democrat board member James Walkinshaw to state he was  &#8220;looking forward to the day when we have a full dais for this proclamation, and that day will come.&#8221;
“By voting to make Easter this year Transgender Visibility Day, they are intentionally trying to offend Christians on the holiest of days by forcing gender ideology down their throats,” Stephanie Lundquist-Arora, the Fairfax chapter leader of the Independent Women&#8217;s Network, said, adding, “This is reprehensible and unbecoming of our elected representatives.”
A 2021 county youth survey directed at schoolchildren as young as 12 years old in Fairfax County, Virginia, asked them questions such as whether they had ever had sex, how old they were when it happened, and how many people they had had sexual intercourse with.
The 2021 Fairfax County <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/538162041/Fairfax-Youth-Survey-Grades-8-10-12#from_embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Youth Survey</a>, a collaboration between Fairfax County Government and Fairfax County Public Schools, as WJLA<a href="https://wjla.com/news/local/new-survey-asks-fairfax-students-12-and-up-about-sex-life-dating-life-home-life" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> reported</a>, targeted students in 8th, 10th, and 12th grade. The survey was anonymous and not mandatory.
Some sample questions included:
<ul>
<li>Some people describe themselves as transgender when their sex at birth does not match the way they think or feel about their gender. Are you transgender?</li>
<li>Which of the following best describes you: Heterosexual (straight), Gay or Lesbian, Bisexual, Not Sure.</li>
<li>Have you ever had sexual intercourse?</li>
<li>How old were you when you had sexual intercourse the first time?</li>
<li>During your life, with how many people have you had sexual intercourse?</li>
<li>During the last three months, with how many people have you had sexual intercourse?</li>
<li>The last time you had sexual intercourse, did you or your partner use a condom?</li>
<li>Have you ever had oral sex?</li>
</ul>
In 2022, The Daily Wire reported:
<blockquote>
A Fairfax County (Virginia) Public Schools curriculum has students play “privilege” bingo, giving them privilege points if they are white, male, employed or “involved in extra-curricular [sic] activities,” or “feel represented in the media.” It also says one has “privilege” if they are a “Military Kid,” drawing shock from parents who pointed out that children of military members must move away from their friends constantly, not see one of their parents for months on end, potentially deal with post-traumatic stress disorder, and risk becoming orphans.
</blockquote>
Luke Rosiak contributed to this article.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fairfax-schools-tell-children-of-military-members-that-they-have-privilege">Fairfax Schools Tell Children Of Military Members That They Have &#8216;Privilege&#8217;</a>
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fairfax-county-asks-12-year-old-school-children-about-their-sex-life">Fairfax County Asks 12-Year-Old School Children About Their Sex Life</a>

Easter

Fairfax County Board Votes Unanimously To Celebrate ‘Transgender Day Of Visibility’ On Easter

Transgender

A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/virginia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Virginia</a> judge ruled last month that frozen embryos can be considered property, a decision based in-part on a 19th century <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/slavery" target="_blank" rel="noopener">slavery</a> law, according to a new report. 
The ruling was part of a dispute between a divorced couple who both hope to gain control over two frozen embryos, which were created by Honeyhline Heidemann and Jason Heidemann during their marriage, the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/embryos-slavery-chattel-custody-virginia-82e1f36ecbcf35ec4659e8e2c3443c4f">reported</a> this week. 
“Upon independent research, this court was unable to find any Virginia law prohibiting the purchase or sale of human embryo, nor has either party cited a federal law prohibiting the activity,” Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge Richard Gardiner <a href="https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/circuit/sites/circuit/files/assets/documents/pdf/opinions/cl-2021-15372-honeyhline-heidemann-v-jason-heidemann.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> in a ruling related to the battle over the embryos. “As there is no prohibition on the sale of human embryos, they may [be] valued and sold, and thus may be considered ‘goods or chattels’ within the meaning of Code § 8.01-93.”
Since the couple split, Honeyhline has hoped to move forward with using the embryos, but Jason has sought to block her saying that implanting the embryos “would force Mr. Heidemann to procreate against his wishes and therefore violate his constitutional right to procreational autonomy.”
According to a 2015 contract that the couple had drawn up, they “own any stored embryos jointly.”
While Gardiner has not made a decision on Jason’s procreational autonomy claim, he did rule that the embryos could be viewed as property. His ruling in part relied on a Virginia law from the 1800s that regulated “goods and chattel,” which included slaves at the time the law was written. 
“I would like to think that the bench and the bar would be seeking more modern precedent,” said Solomon Ashby, president of the Old Dominion Bar Association. 
A human embryo is typically frozen very soon after fertilization before the unborn child has been able to develop much. 
In recent months, some conservatives <a href="https://www.axios.com/2022/11/29/republicans-abortion-fertility-ivf-pence">have considered</a> or voiced support for increasing protection for embryos and prohibiting the disposal of embryos as pro-life organizations have often raised concerns about what happens to embryos that do not end up being implanted. 
Gardiner’s ruling to treat embryos as property could draw the attention of pro-lifers, who have often <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-star-parker-gives-powerful-testimony-frank-camp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">compared</a> slavery and abortion over their callous treatment of human life.

Embryo selection for IVF light micrograph

Virginia Judge Rules Embryos Are Property, ‘Chattel’ Using Slavery Law

Judge

Slavery

Social Issues

A middle school in a woke Virginia school district sent a <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11833027/Woke-Virginia-school-bans-white-Asian-students-applying-college-prep-program.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> to parents offering college preparation classes urging black and Hispanic students to apply, but ignored white and Asian students.
“Do you have an 8th grader who WANTS to go to college?” the letter, which was sent to parents on March 1, asked. “Do they fall into one or more of these categories?” The deadline for application was March 10.
“Black or African American” and “Hispanic students, of one or more race” were listed, along with students who would be the first in their family to go to college in the U.S., students with disabilities, English learners, and economically disadvantaged students.
“If you do, PLEASE APPLY for Fairfax County’s Partnership Program,” the letter urged. “A typical CCP student represents a traditionally underrepresented population in higher education.”
“In the 20th century, Asian Exclusion Act denied Asians equal opportunities,” former Wall Street Journal reporter Asra Nomani noted. “Now @FCPSNews promotes a college prep program with race-based admissions, excluding Asians + whites. A judge already ruled FCPS violated US Constitution in new anti-Asian admissions.”
Nomani also pointed out, “The perks also include monetary rewards: ‘A summer experiential learning opportunity (you actually visit a college and stay on their campus!).’”
“This program excludes children based on race, and it seems to be in direct violation of the school district’s own anti-discrimination policy.” Glenn Miller, an attorney whose child is in the school system, told <a href="https://www.fairfaxtimes.com/articles/fairfax_county/new-asian-exclusion-act-pops-up-in-fcps-program/article_58d6ac88-bc68-11ed-a99f-3bb8fa2182a9.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fairfax Times</a>.
Asian students comprise 19% of the 181,447 students, school district data tabulated in February revealed; the 666,263 white students comprise 37% of the total student population.
“No applicant or employee on the basis of, of race, sex, color, age, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, genetic information, pregnancy status, childbirth or related medical conditions, marital status, veteran status, and disability shall be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under, any education program or activity, as required by law,” the Fairfax School District&#8217;s anti-discrimination policy states.
In 2021, the Fairfax County School District <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/fairfax-school-district-sends-educators-powerpoint-on-how-to-implement-critical-race-theory-in-the-classroom/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sent a PowerPoint</a> to teachers explaining how to implement Critical Race Theory (CRT) in the classroom.
Fairfax County Public School (FCPS) district sent out a resource — intended to be a “teacher facing item” — which defined Critical Race Theory, explaining how to implement the ideologies in the classroom. Examples included “culturally relevant pedagogy,” “institutional/systemic racism,” “anti-racism education,” “anti-hate education,” and more.
“In adopting this approach, CRT scholars attempt to understand how victims of systemic racism are affected by cultural perceptions of race and how they are able to represent themselves to counter prejudice,” the PowerPoint read.

Rear View Of Boy Standing Against Building

Woke Virginia Middle School Ignores Whites, Asians When Offering College Prep Classes

Virginia Middle School Ignores Whites, Asians When Offering College Prep Classes

Wokeness

An embattled northern <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/virginia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Virginia</a> school district has aggravated both parents and teachers with a new policy that would see boys and girls in grades 4-8 taught sex education together, apparently in order to avoid alienating their trans-identifying classmates.
Currently, instruction at those grade levels in Fairfax County Public Schools is separated by sex, but LGBTQ activists have argued that this harms trans-identifying students by potentially forcing them to out themselves or to pick a gender they don’t identify with. Opponents of the proposal have argued that combining the classes by sex would create awkwardness and tension, decrease student participation in class and lead to a greater number of students opting out of the program entirely.
“Notwithstanding the public expressing its clear opposition to this &amp; explaining how combined classes will be less effective, the Family Life Committee plans to push forward with the plan for political reasons,” The Fairfax County Parents Association said via Twitter.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🚨Breaking: Activists Buried FCPS Survey Showing Overwhelming Opposition to Combined Sex-Ed Classes🚨
Activists on FCPS&#39;s Family Life Committee plan to recommend &amp; push for a vote proposing combined gender sex-ed classes despite survey showing ~85% opposition to plan. <a href="https://t.co/XPjOYxL6nO">pic.twitter.com/XPjOYxL6nO</a>
&mdash; Fairfax County Parents Association (@FFXParentsAssoc) <a href="https://twitter.com/FFXParentsAssoc/status/1632037908466081793?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Fairfax County Public schools have drawn fire for <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/virginia-mom-equity-warriors-sons-merit-award-secret-2-years" target="_blank" rel="noopener">withholding academic awards </a>from minority students in the name of &#8220;equity&#8221; and for its <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/michael-delaney-isnt-the-first-judicial-nominee-to-traumatize-child-sexual-abuse-survivors">handling of sexual abuse allegations</a>. The county, one of the wealthiest in the nation, is just outside of Washington D.C. It is also Virginia’s most populous county and its school district is the 10th largest in the country.
The parents association on Saturday released data from an internal survey conducted by the school district which had until that point been hidden from the public, which found overwhelming opposition to the proposal — almost 85% of survey respondents opposed combined instruction. Every subcategory that was surveyed opposed the changes by a large majority: among parents 183 were in favor compared to 1392 who were opposed, among teachers 14 were in favor and 100 were opposed, and among students 20 were in favor and 60 were opposed.
The group alleges that the survey data has been deliberately suppressed in order to keep the issue out of the public eye so that supporters on the school board and attendant committees can push the changes through in an upcoming vote on March 30 with minimal opposition.
The Daily Wire reached out to several members of the Fairfax County School Board about the proposed changes to the curriculum. At the time of writing, they had not responded.
Several concerned residents of Fairfax County expressed concern about the proposed changes to The Daily Wire and the transparency of the process.
Family Life Education (FLE) and issues surrounding sex and gender identity have been highly contentious within the district for much of the last decade. The controversy within the community began as far back as 2015, when gender identity was first added as a protected class under the district’s non-discrimination policy, with later overhauls to the curriculum striking terms such as “biological sex” in favor of “sex assigned at birth”.
The Fairfax County school board has <a href="https://www.ffxnow.com/2022/10/10/fairfax-county-school-board-commits-to-supporting-transgender-students-as-community-speaks-out/">allied itself with LGBTQ activists</a> and against critics such as Virginia Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin, who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/curl-heres-what-really-drove-the-vote-in-virginia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">centered his campaign</a> on this issue of parents’ rights in their children’s education.
“The Fairfax County School Board understands that our LGBTQIA+ students, staff, and families are worried about the impact of Governor Youngkin’s proposed model policies for transgender and gender-expansive students.” The school board <a href="https://www.ffxnow.com/2022/10/10/fairfax-county-school-board-commits-to-supporting-transgender-students-as-community-speaks-out/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a public statement last year. “Nearly one in five transgender and non-binary youth attempted suicide in the last year. LGBTQIA+ youth who found their school to be affirming reported lower rates of attempting suicide. It is necessary to ensure our school community is a place where all students can live without fear of prejudice, discrimination, harassment, or violence.”
“Fairfax County has prided itself for a long time on being a progressive wedge and setting the tone.” Laura Bryant Hanford, a former member of the county’s FLE Curriculum Advisory Committee told the Daily Wire.
Still, Fairfax is not a monolith, and many parents, instructors, and residents have reservations about gender ideology and its influence on FLE.
“We’re oversexualizing kids,” one community member, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of personal and professional reprisal, told The Daily Wire. “We’re asking the kids their sexual preferences … their gender … why are we even talking sexual preference in middle or elementary school? &#8230; This is an age when they’re confused.”
Still, the issue has become contentious enough that many residents believe they can only speak out at great personal cost.“People have jobs,” Andrea Bayer, a former school board candidate, told The Daily Wire. “They’re contractors and government employees, and anything they say will be used against them.”
“Fairfax County doesn’t play around,&#8221; one resident told The Daily Wire. “If, somehow, they got wind that I talked to you, they’re coming for me now.”

Sex Ed

Fairfax County Schools Accused Of Suppressing Sex-Ed Data

LGBTQ

Public Schools

Schools

Last week, senators grilled President Biden’s judicial nominee Michael Delaney about the aggressive tactics he used against a child sexual abuse survivor while representing St. Paul&#8217;s boarding school. Mr. Delaney asked a court to publicly reveal the identity of a child sexual abuse survivor that sued St. Paul&#8217;s under the pseudonym &#8220;Jane Doe.&#8221; Mr. Delaney&#8217;s tactics sadden me, but they don&#8217;t surprise me.
Stuart A. Raphael, now a Virginia Court of Appeals judge, did the same thing to me in my lawsuit against Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) when he represented the school.
In 2019, I sued FCPS and some of its employees for their failure to address the severe sexual abuse I suffered at age 12 in middle school. My lawsuit is ongoing. In short, I suffered violent rapes and gang rapes that were entirely preventable had school employees acted appropriately. The school&#8217;s response was so deficient that the U.S. Department of Education found multiple violations of my rights. Like the survivor from St. Paul&#8217;s, I filed my lawsuit as &#8220;Jane Doe&#8221; to protect my safety and privacy. 
But FCPS&#8217;s lawyer, Mr. Raphael, tried to dismiss my case by arguing that pseudonyms are unconstitutional because pseudonyms permit lawsuits from &#8220;phantoms.&#8221;
Mr. Raphael&#8217;s argument could have had sweeping ramifications for child sexual abuse survivors. If he had won, sexual abuse survivors could almost never use pseudonyms. That would have harmed countless people — pseudonyms can provide the safety and privacy survivors need to seek justice. According to the organization Darkness to Light, only 38% of child sexual abuse victims disclose their abuse, often due to fears about privacy. I know this fact from experience.
Coming forward was among the most challenging decisions I have ever made because I feared for my safety. There were previous threats against my life. When I decided to file, I was a 19-year-old college student beginning adulthood. I feared what it would mean for my future to make the gory details of my sexual abuse, including sensitive information and identifying factors, accessible to anyone who Googled my name. Yet I knew I needed to hold FCPS accountable so no child would suffer the same abuse. Using a pseudonym made me feel safe enough to fight the institution.
Thankfully, I defeated Mr. Raphael&#8217;s &#8220;phantom&#8221; argument — the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that pseudonyms are constitutional. Survivors now have precedent that protects their safety and privacy. But it was a pyrrhic victory. Mr. Raphael added to my trauma and delayed my case by almost two years — making a mockery of the Eastern District of Virginia&#8217;s motto, “Justice delayed is justice denied.”
In reality, Mr. Raphael&#8217;s pseudonym argument was a gimmick to silence me. His legal briefs said so. He wrote, if he were right that my case should be dismissed because I used a pseudonym, then I couldn&#8217;t refile my lawsuit because, in his view, the time limit under my statute of limitations had expired. Raphael, however, didn&#8217;t object to the pseudonyms granted to my perpetrators and the school employees. It was only about stopping me. 
These tactics are why victims don’t come forward. They cause pain, trauma, and delay.
My case isn&#8217;t the first time Mr. Raphael tried to silence vulnerable children. In another case against FCPS, he argued that a student who reported her sexual assault wasn&#8217;t really sexually assaulted because, according to him, the girl was only uncomfortable with forceful penetration of her genitals because her assaulter had a girlfriend. In another FCPS case, he argued that handcuffing and caging disabled students did not cause legal injuries. Each time, Mr. Raphael&#8217;s arguments challenged vulnerable children.
Nonetheless, the Virginia General Assembly selected Mr. Raphael to be a Court of Appeals judge. His appointment happened virtually overnight behind closed doors without public questioning, such as the confirmation hearings for federal judges. Had there been a hearing, the public could have examined Mr. Raphael&#8217;s record and severe lack of judgment before the General Assembly voted. I was disturbed to learn he would be a judge after how he treated me, but there was no opportunity for me to share my experience.
I know Chessy Prout, the survivor from St. Paul&#8217;s, feels frustrated knowing that Michael Delaney could become a federal judge. I&#8217;m glad Chessy <a href="https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/2.13.23%20-%20Chessy%20Prout%20Letter%20to%20Committee%20on%20Delaney%20Nomination.pdf">wrote to the Senate</a> about Mr. Delaney&#8217;s tactics, forcing him to defend his record, which should sink his nomination. And I wish I had a chance to share my experience with the Virginia General Assembly before it appointed Mr. Raphael in haste.
Judges make decisions that affect real people. It&#8217;s a serious job, not a job for people like Delaney and Raphael that can&#8217;t see the broader impact of their actions. The Senate should reject Mr. Delaney&#8217;s nomination, and Mr. Raphael&#8217;s current term on the Virginia Court of Appeals should be his last.
B.R. is a survivor of sexual abuse in Fairfax County Public Schools. She has been fighting for over a decade to hold FCPS accountable, not just for herself, but for all other students and families harmed.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Senate Judiciary Committee Nominations Hearing

Michael Delaney Isn’t The First Judicial Nominee To Traumatize Child Sexual Abuse Survivors

Michael Delaney Isn't The First Judicial Nominee To Traumatize Child Sexual Abuse Survivors 

Child Sex Abuse

Court

Judges

Rape

Readers Pass

A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/virginia">Virginia</a> school district turned a blind eye to horrific <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/human-trafficking">sexual abuse</a> in a middle school in 2012, with staff members showing more compassion for an alleged attacker than for the victim, a new court filing alleges.
The allegations have come to light a decade later because the victim waited until she was an adult to sue and the case has been in the courts for the last three years. The explosive claims against Fairfax County Public Schools were revealed in a newly filed amended complaint and paint a disturbing picture of gang activity and sex trafficking in the area.
The events occurred when the girl, identified in court papers as B.R., was a 12-year-old student at Rachel Carson Middle School. One of her alleged attackers was an eighth grader called only C.K. in court papers, while other alleged attackers were unknown men who allegedly gang raped her in a closet in the school after C.K. bragged that he was grooming her for &#8220;friends&#8221; who would &#8220;make a lot of money&#8221; off of her, the complaint says.
The complaint says that C.K. waited for B.R. at the bus stop after school, brandished a knife, and “led Plaintiff to a secluded nearby area outside where he wrestled Plaintiff to the ground, held her there against her will, removed her clothing, and forced Plaintiff… to perform oral sex.” Similar events occurred on a near-daily basis for several days, until the girl&#8217;s mother heard a voicemail message in which her daughter&#8217;s tormentor crudely threatened to sodomize her, according to the complaint.
Although it was before the alleged gang rape and the girl had not yet told her parents the extent of the abuse she had allegedly endured, her parents went to school officials in February of 2012 to complain of persistent sexual harassment in the school halls, the voicemail from C.K., and so claim that C.K. had stolen $50 from B.R. Officials allegedly brushed her complaint aside.
“Assistant Principal S.T. told Plaintiff and her parents that C.K. ‘had a very hard life and been in enough trouble,’ and asked Plaintiff and her mother why they were trying to ‘ruin a young boy’s life,’” the complaint states.
Assistant Principal S.T. then visited C.K.&#8217;s home, where his mother told him that he was &#8220;borrowing&#8221; the $50. After that conversation, the assistant principal told B.R.&#8217;s parents that it appeared to be a &#8220;boy girl thing&#8221; in which B.R. was &#8220;sexually active&#8221; with C.K. The assistant principal returned the $50 while laughing that B.R. should take it back before she spent it on Christmas shopping herself, the complaint says.
The abuse got worse after she went to school officials, culminating in a student dragging her into a closet in the school building after school where she was &#8220;raped by three unknown males (Mike Roes 1 – 3) consistent with the modus operandi of human and sexual traffickers in the Fairfax community,&#8221; the lawsuit alleged.
In February 2012, B.R.&#8217;s parents began keeping her home from school, and she disclosed the full extent of the alleged sexual abuse. On March 5, her parents went to the police and spoke with Detective Fred Chambers – the former School Resource Officer for the middle school &#8212; who directed her to take a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (“SANE”) evaluation which “revealed she suffered contusions inside her anus thereby corroborating her report of rape and sodomy,” the suit says.
Yet the detective went on to accuse the girl of making a false rape accusation &#8220;despite his knowledge of corroborating evidence,” the complaint says. School officials began investigating the alleged victim, the complaint claims.
“Under the guise of a school investigation, and in the course and scope of his authority as principal of RCMS, Principal A.F. visited Plaintiff’s elementary school to dig up ‘dirt’ on Plaintiff,&#8221; it says.
Although little is known of the assailants alleged to have gang-raped the girl, the events happened at the same time that  <a href="https://www.npr.org/2011/11/14/142300731/gangs-enter-new-territory-with-sex-trafficking">NPR</a> was reporting that the gang MS-13 was forcing children into prostitution in Fairfax. In 2014, FCPS warned of sex trafficking in a page on its website that included a <a href="https://www.fcps.edu/node/32026">video</a> saying one gang alone had attempted to recruit more than 800 girls in the county.
FCPS had a pattern of downplaying sexual misconduct so that the school system&#8217;s statistics looked better, the complaint says. &#8220;In effect, FCSB had a policy, custom, and practice of sweeping student-on-student sexual violence and sexual harassment under the rug,&#8221; it says.
Schools also required to disclose certain incidents in a statewide database. Loudoun County acknowledged <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-loudoun-schools-did-not-record-multiple-alleged-sexual-assaults-over-a-period-of-years-despite-state-law-records-show">failing to report</a> to the database properly after The Daily Wire pointed out that both the infamous bathroom rape and an earlier well-known locker room incident were missing.
In the 2011-2012 school year, when the Rachel Carson complaints were filed, FCPS reported <a href="https://www.doe.virginia.gov/statistics_reports/school_climate/discipline_crime_violence/11-12_annual_report.pdf">zero</a> sexual assaults and five sexual batteries across its 180,000 students. In the 2018-19 school year, the most recent before coronavirus disruptions, FCPS reported <a href="https://www.doe.virginia.gov/statistics_reports/school_climate/index.shtml">10 incidents</a> of &#8220;sexual battery against student.&#8221;
FCPS did not return a request for comment.

School System Downplayed Alleged Sexual Misconduct Against 12-Year Old, Citing ‘Hard Life’ Of Suspect, Suit Claims

Fairfax Schools Downplayed Rachel Carson Middle School Sexual Misconduct, Citing 'Hard Life' Of Suspect, Suit Claims

Loudoun County

Sexual Assault

Terry McAuliffe

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, pledged to use the state&#8217;s power to protect Supreme Court justices from rioters who may threaten them at their homes in the wake of a major abortion ruling.
&#8220;I am in regular contact with the Supreme Court Justices and my administration is in coordination with our mayors, and local and state police to ensure we are ready to take appropriate action if need be. Virginia will not stand for lawlessness or violence,&#8221; Youngkin said in a <a href="https://twitter.com/GovernorVA/status/1540382198678831107/photo/1">statement</a> shortly after the release of the court decision <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/united-states-supreme-court-overturns-roe-v-wade-leaves-abortion-restrictions-to-states">overturning Roe v. Wade</a>.
&#8220;Today&#8217;s ruling is a landmark decision for our country. While I understand that people across the nation have strong beliefs about this ruling, Virginians must always respect the rule of law and I appeal to their civility on this historic day. Our administration is committed to protecting individuals&#8217; constitutional rights and ensuring Virginians are safe,&#8221; he added.
Multiple justices live in the Northern Virginia suburbs, and far-left protesters have targeted them &#8212; with one group even <a href="https://twitter.com/RuthSentUs/status/1534530178298150913">advertising</a> when and where Justice Amy Coney Barrett attends church and putting signs up where her daughter goes to school.
Posters around D.C. have, for the last week, encouraged people to riot when the Supreme Court issued its decision, while others called for a &#8220;night of rage.&#8221;
The <a href="https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title18.2/chapter9/section18.2-419/">Code of Virginia</a> prohibits “picketing before or about the residence or dwelling place of any individual … in a manner which disrupts or threatens to disrupt any individual’s right to tranquility in his home,” though others have questioned such laws on constitutional grounds.
But far-left politicos from Fairfax County rejected Youngkin&#8217;s entreaties that local police “establish an expanded security perimeter” and limit “unauthorized vehicle and pedestrian access” around the residences of Justices Barrett,  Clarence Thomas, and Samuel Alito, <a href="https://www.ffxnow.com/2022/05/12/fairfax-county-board-chair-rejects-youngkins-advice-for-supreme-court-justice-protests/">Fairfax Now</a> reported May 12.
After an armed man traveled to the home of Justice Brett Kavanaugh in Maryland and was indicted for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/alleged-would-be-kavanaugh-assassin-indicted-for-attempted-murder-of-a-justice">attempted murder</a> of a justice, Youngkin introduced an amendment to the state&#8217;s budget that would make it a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/proposed-youngkin-amendment-would-make-it-a-felony-to-protest-outside-a-justices-home">felony</a> to try to influence or intimidate a judge with protests. Lawmakers blocked the amendment.
Youngkin, a Republican who last year won election in a generally blue-leaning state, signaled Friday that he will pursue a 15-week abortion ban. &#8220;We can build a bipartisan consensus on protecting the life of unborn children, especially when they begin to feel pain in the womb and importantly supporting mothers and families who choose life,&#8221; he said in a statement. He added that he has asked legislators to prepare a bill for &#8220;when the General Assembly returns in January.&#8221;

Supreme Court

Virginia Governor Says He Will Protect Justices From Rioters At Their Homes

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin Says He Will Protect Supreme Court Justices From Rioters At Their Homes

Roe v. Wade's Long And Brutal Legacy

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