work and achievement . virginia s attorney general, thomas jefferson high school for science and technology. we did initiate a third party external review into the situation. in a letter to the community, she said the delay was likely due to human error. we committed to contacting all of the colleges and universities of the early action, early decision schools that otherwise are commended scholars might not have had the information to notify. reporter: lost in the war of words, students who were recognized with accommodation are actually out of the competition for national merit scholarships. i think i might have even thrown it away because i didn t really think much of it. i didn t put it like anywhere in my honors section for college apps. now, governor glenn youngkin has proposed legislation in the general assembly to require that
part of the thing that has so many up in arms this was not human error this was intentional effort. what is your response to that? we celebrate each and every one of our students unique contributions and achievements and there is no division wide effort to withhold recognition or not to honor hard work and achievement. reporter: the attorney general is investigating high schools across fairfax counties after eight of them delayed students who had been commended including thomas jefferson high school for science and technology. the top ranked high school in the country. we did initiate a third-party review. reporter: reed said the delay was likely due to human error. we committed to contacted colleges and universities for the early action early decision schools that otherwise are commended scholarships may not have the information notified. reporter: lost our students who were recognized rationally out of the ? actually left out
to be required to notify students immediately as soon as they re told about these certificates. but one thing that s important to note here, jake, is these commendations are not scholarships. they are not the same thing as scholarships. the ones who receive the students who receive commendations are out of the running actually for the national merit scholarships. they re still able to access a few limited scholarships sponsored by corporations or a business. jake? i know that you ve been on the phone with the very active and engaged parents of northern virginia all week. what are they telling you? reporter: this is really interesting. a lot of them are talking about this being part of a much larger issue. we know that governor glenn youngkin ran on education issues around equity and diversity, gender and race issues in schools, also opening schools. and so these parents that i ve been talking to, many of them parents of students at thomas jefferson high school for science and tec
Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) has reiterated his criticisms of Fairfax County Public Schools, calling the withholding of National Merit awards from Virginia students a possible "human rights violation."