(Updated at 4:20 p.m.) The current admissions process for Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJ) does not discriminate against Asian American students, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit has ruled.
A majority of the three-judge panel backed the Fairfax County School Board’s argument in support of admissions policy changes intended to increase diversity at the prestigious magnet school, reversing a lower court’s ruling that sided with the Coalition for TJ.
The advocacy group filed a lawsuit against the school board in March 2021, arguing that the changes adopted in 2020 were intended to reduce the number of Asian students at TJ in violation of the Constitution.
In an opinion published today (Tuesday), Circuit Judge Robert King says the Coalition failed to prove that the school board intended to discriminate against Asian students, who have, in fact, seen “greater success in securing admission to TJ under the policy than students from any other racial or ethnic group.”
“After thorough consideration of the record and the appellate contentions, we are satisfied that the challenged admissions policy does not disparately impact Asian American students and that the Coalition cannot establish that the Board adopted its race-neutral policy with any discriminatory intent,” King wrote.
Since taking effect with the Class of 2025, the admissions changes — which included dropping a required test and application fee and taking into account a student’s economic, special education or English-learner status — have resulted in offers going to a broader range of students in terms of race, geography and income.
The Class of 2025 was the first in a decade to accept students from all middle schools. It also saw an uptick in Black, Hispanic and economically disadvantaged students, Fairfax County Public Schools reported. Both that year and last year, Asian students still received a majority of offers.
“The court reached the correct decision, and we firmly believe this admission plan is fair and gives qualified applicants at every middle school a fair chance of a seat at TJ,” John Foster, the school board’s division counsel, said in a statement. “We look forward to offering seats to a new group of remarkable and incredibly well-qualified young scholars in the years to come.”
U.S. District Judge Claude Hilton had ruled in February 2022 that Asian students were “disproportionately harmed” by the admissions changes, which he said were implemented in a “remarkably rushed and shoddy” process.
Hilton ordered that FCPS stop using the new policy, but the appeals court agreed to let it stay in place while the lawsuit continued.
While King said that Hilton’s judgment “went fatally awry” in not addressing how racial and ethnic groups other than Asians fared under the new policy, Circuit Judge Allison Rushing argued a dissenting opinion that the changes were “passed with discriminatory intent and disproportionately impact a particular racial group,” even if they appear race-neutral on paper.
“The twelve-member Board plainly stated its intention to craft an admissions policy for TJ that would reform the racial composition of the student body to reflect the racial demographics of the district,” she wrote.
The Coalition for TJ says it wasn’t surprised by the ruling and intends to take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court.
“We are disappointed by today’s ruling, but we are not discouraged,” Pacific Legal Foundation attorney Erin Wilcox, who has been representing the coalition, said. “Discrimination against students based on their race is wrong and violates the Constitution’s guarantee of equal protection. We look forward to asking the Supreme Court to end this illegal practice once and for all.”
The Supreme Court is already considering a case on affirmative action in college admissions. Some universities have started to review their practices, with the mostly conservative justices expected to defy precedent by declaring race-conscious admissions unlawful.
Some of the D.C. region’s hottest new restaurants can be found right in Fairfax County, according to the Washington Post’s recently released spring dining guide.
Restaurants in the county claimed four spots on longtime food critic Tom Sietsema’s round-up of his favorite newcomers to the regional dining scene — more than any locality other than the District itself.
Leading the pack is Kirby Club, the eastern Mediterranean restaurant that launched in the Mosaic District late last year. The new concept from the restauranteurs behind D.C.’s Compass Rose and Maydān ranked no. 3 on Sietsema’s list, which highlights 25 eateries where he would “be happy to go on my own dollar.”
ICYMI: @tomsietsema has named Kirby Club as Number 3 in the @washingtonpost Spring Dining Guide!
Read what sets Kirby Club apart: https://t.co/pWuE9RQtlh
Tag a friend who needs to try their signature kebabs and dips this summer.
: @mariahmirandaphoto pic.twitter.com/5qzBC5UDiy
— Mosaic (@mosaicdistrict) May 19, 2023
Opened on Dec. 20, 2022, Kirby Club drew praise for its “always sunny” atmosphere and menu of kebabs and dips, which Sietsema says remain “luscious” even though original chef Omar Hegazi has returned to his home base in New York.
He also highlighted the restaurant’s offerings of both share-able platters and plates fit for one:
Non-sharers will rejoice over the plates for one, featuring a variety of kebabs — chicken, lamb, oyster (mushroom) — that feel like a feast given the fluffy yellow rice, sumac-spiked onions and bright salad that accompany them. “Picnic platters” are a throwback to Previte’s childhood memories of Labor Day spreads with the Kirby Club, a Lebanese social group her maternal grandparents helped found in 1933 in Akron, Ohio. My ongoing fascination is the whole roast chicken, massaged with garlic, turmeric and oil and presented on a raft of flatbread with the aforementioned rice and salad, but also crinkle-cut fries sprinkled with za’atar and a rainbow of sauces.
After initially opening with evening hours only, Kirby Club has expanded its operations to include lunch and to-go options. A second location is in the works in Clarendon.
“We love being a part of the vibrant Fairfax County community and welcoming in so many local friends and family to Kirby Club in the Mosaic District every day,” Kirby Club owner Rose Previte said. “It’s wonderful to have the Washington Post celebrating so many restaurants we know and love.”
Unranked after the top five, the guide also gives some love to Ingle Korean Steakhouse and Jiwa Singapura, signaling that Tysons may at last be breaking free of its reputation as purely an American-steak-and-business kind of town.
Ingle Korean Steakhouse at Pike 7 Plaza instantly won the Post’s food critic over with elegant decor, attentive servers, “distinctive cocktails” and “delicious dips” for its array of grilled meats and seafood.
For Jiwa Singapura, which opened on Feb. 15 in Tysons Galleria, Sietsema emphasizes the luxuriousness of the food and the setting, which he says suggests “a fine-dining lair.” He points to the salted egg shrimp, chicken rice and chili crab as menu highlights, though the “beef rendang isn’t worth the 30-minute wait.”
Moving outside the Tysons area — and price range — Sari Filipino Kusina rounds out the Fairfax County entries in the guide. Sietsema says the fast-casual Filipino restaurant in Annandale stands out for the “haunting” flavors of dishes like kare kare stew and smoked chicken wings glazed with adobo, which draw on co-owner and chef Paolo Dungca’s childhood in Manila.
(Updated at 10:15 a.m.) Reminder: Richmond Highway Speed Limit Lowered Today — The speed limit on Richmond Highway (Route 1) will decrease from 45 to 35 mph between I-495/I-95 and Mount Vernon Memorial Highway, starting today (Tuesday). The change is intended to improve safety on the roadway, which has seen at least 12 fatal pedestrian crashes since 2015. [DCist]
Missing Oakton Man Found Dead in Shenandoah — “The body of missing George Mason University student, Mateo Cobo Zevallos, 21, was believed to be found Sunday afternoon around 12:15 p.m. at Shenandoah National Park, according to the National Park Service.” The Fairfax County Police Department confirmed yesterday (Monday) that Zevallos was found deceased, with no foul play suspected. [WUSA9]
Police Investigate Springfield Commercial Burglary — “Police responded to the burglary at Smoke Bazaar, 6715 Backlick Road in Springfield, around 14:40 a.m. Sunday. According to police, a stolen 2013 silver Hyundai Elantra was driven through the storefront, and four suspects entered. The suspects stole merchandise and left in a stolen 2019 black Hyundai Elantra.” [Patch]
Herndon Digital ID Company Acquired — “Herndon’s Airside Mobile Inc. has sold itself to a London identity verification firm, a deal it completed late last year but is only now disclosing.” The firm, Onfido, has turned Airside’s 2,000-square-foot office at 13500 Dulles Tech Way into its new U.S. headquarters. The now-combined companies sell technology that helps businesses verify identities. [Washington Business Journal]
Bailey’s Crossroads Has a New Thai Restaurant — “Mum Aroi, the new restaurant that replaced Rabieng at 5892 Leesburg Pike in Bailey’s Crossroads features the cuisine of northeastern Thailand with a modern twist…Mum Aroi, which means ‘delicious’ in Thai, opened [last] week after the longtime owners, the Duangrat family, decided it was too much to maintain two restaurants.” [Annandale Today]
Herndon Church Provides Education on Drug Addiction — “Floris United Methodist Church in Herndon…opened its doors [on Sunday] to facilitate an important but often uncomfortable conversation on drugs and addiction. The church held its first Drugs & Addiction event, in response to rising overdose numbers across Fairfax County and concerns expressed by the congregation.” [ABC7]
Free Train Rides Offered on Fridays — “Virginia Railway Express is going fare-free on Fridays this summer. The commuter rail service announced Monday that from June 2 to Sept. 1, all Friday rides will be free.” VRE reported an uptick in ridership when it offered free rides last September in response to Metro’s Yellow and Blue line shutdowns. [Inside NoVA]
Spring Concerts Return to Meadowlark Gardens — The Virginia Chamber Orchestra is once again delivering a “Music in the Gardens” concert series at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna. Taking place at 3 p.m. this Sunday (May 28) and on June 11 and 25, the concerts are free, but admission to the park is $3 to $6. [VCO]
It’s Tuesday — Partly sunny, with a high near 76. East wind 7 to 10 mph. At night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 53. East wind 3 to 8 mph. [Weather.gov]
Fairfax Connector is shaking up its service along the I-66 corridor in anticipation of two major parking facilities finishing construction later this year.
The Fairfax County Department of Transportation has proposed adding or revising almost 30 routes in Tysons, Vienna, Springfield, Chantilly and Centreville, as it seeks to incorporate the upcoming Springfield and Monument Drive garages into its bus system.
According to FCDOT, the changes will improve travel throughout the D.C. region, with the Monument Commuter Parking Garage and Transit Center in particular supporting new connections between the eastern and western sides of the county.
“By creating a transfer point at the new Monument Park-and-Ride facility, riders will have the opportunity to transfer between local routes, access regional routes, and connect to the Vienna Metrorail Station, Franconia Metrorail Station, Tysons, or…D.C.,” FCDOT said in a news release.
Shaped by two previous rounds of public engagement, the proposed service plan will be presented today (Monday) at a 7 p.m. community meeting in the Franconia Government Center (6121 Franconia Road). Virtual meetings are also scheduled for 7 p.m. tomorrow (Tuesday) and Thursday (May 25).
The public can also provide input through an online survey until June 5.
Monument Drive
The $43 million Monument facility will boast 820 parking spaces, eight bus bays, a pick-up and drop-off area, and bicycle racks and storage. Located at the Government Center Parkway intersection next to Fairfax Corner, it broke ground in November 2021 as part of the I-66 widening.
FCDOT has proposed adding the facility as a stop on Route 660, a cross-county connector from the Stone Road Park & Ride in Centreville to the Tysons Metro station that launched in February.
Other notable changes involving the Monument facility include:
- Route 605: Reston Town Center Metro station to Fair Oaks Mall
- Route 622: Fairfax Towne Center circulator with more local links and new weekend service
- Route 625: New route to Random Hills Road and Pender Drive
- Route 651: New seven-day service to the Westfields, Chantilly, and Fair Ridge areas
- Route 663: Stringfellow Road Park and Ride to the Vienna Metro station
- Route 670: New peak express service between Chantilly and the Franconia-Springfield
Metro station - Route 671: New peak service from Chantilly to the Dunn Loring Metro station
Springfield
Construction on the Springfield Community Business Center Commuter Parking Garage began in the fall of 2021, disrupting the area’s popular slug lines. The six-level facility will have about 1,000 parking spaces, a transit center with seven bus bays, commuter spaces for slugging, a pick-up and drop-off area, and bicycle storage.
Costing an estimated $63.81 million, the project will also add community event and gathering areas as well as a pedestrian bridge over Old Keene Mill Road to Springfield Plaza.
FCDOT has proposed realigning five routes to serve the new garage, which is expected to be completed in December:
- Route 310: Rolling Valley Park & Ride to Huntington Metro
- Routes 321 and 322: Franconia Metro to Van Dorn Street Metro
- Route 393: Saratoga Park & Ride to Pentagon Metro station
- Route 396: Backlick North Park & Ride to Pentagon Metro
Tysons/Vienna
The most eye-catching proposal for the Tysons area is a Route 798 that would provide express, rush-hour service from the Tysons Metro station to Bethesda — a route also envisioned by Metro.
The buses would utilize the extended I-495 Express Lanes, though with Maryland’s Capital Beltway widening in limbo, it remains to be seen exactly how “express” the service will be.
Other changes include a new Route 427 between the Spring Hill Metro station and McLean Governmental Center and improved frequency in Central Tysons (Route 423), Vienna and Oakton (Route 461), and Vienna to Tysons Metro stations (Route 463).
A dog attacked a cat and a rabid raccoon in Vienna earlier this month, an encounter that left the raccoon dead, police say.
The dog got loose in the 700 block of MacArthur Avenue NE and attacked the two other animals on May 12, according to the Vienna Police Department’s recap for the week of May 12-18.
The incident was reported on May 15 by a neighbor of the dog’s owner. The neighbor also told police that his own dog was bitten while he and the owner were both walking their pets at noon on May 8. The bite left “a puncture wound.”
“The Animal Control Officer in Fairfax County investigated these incidents and placed the dog under a 10-day quarantine,” the VPD said. “ACO Barker had a conversation with the dog’s owner, emphasizing the importance of ensuring the dog does not pose a threat to other people or animals in the future.”
The Fairfax County Health Department reported to police on May 16 that the slain raccoon had been tested for rabies and was confirmed to be positive.
“The owner of the dog was promptly notified, and the quarantine period was extended to the required 45 days,” Vienna police said, noting that both that dog and the dog of the resident who reported the incidents were up-to-date on their vaccinations.
About half of the 40 to 60 rabies cases recorded in Fairfax County each year involve raccoons, the county’s rabies program manager previously told FFXnow. The virus typically spreads through a bite or scratch and nearly always proves fatal.
Other notable incidents in last week’s crime round-up include three domestic assaults and a May 12 crash at the intersection of Locust Street and Branch Road where “the driver lost control, went over the curb, and struck a utility pole.”
The driver, a 69-year-old man from Vienna, was charged with driving while intoxicated.
Alcohol also figured into a trespassing incident at Yeonas Park around 3:30 p.m. on May 13:
Officers responded to the report of a man who was refusing to leave the ballpark. The Vienna Little League President advised he saw the man drinking alcohol and when he requested he leave the park, the man threatened him. The man was trespassed from the park by the Little League President and he left the area.
In addition, officers responded to three times to people playing pickleball at Glyndon Park outside of the town’s approved hours. The complaints came in at 7:36 p.m. and 9:07 p.m. on Wednesday (May 17), and at 9:02 p.m. on Thursday (May 18).
Separately, the VPD announced last week that a man had been arrested on Thursday for allegedly sexually assaulting a girl at a Vienna park.
About 1,400 people in the McLean and Great Falls area lost power Saturday night (May 20) due to a car crash on Georgetown Pike.
A photo sent to FFXnow shows a silver sedan that had smashed into a large green power box, coming to a rest against a streetlight.
The vehicle caused the outage when it crashed into the box, which had a power switch in it, according to Dominion Energy spokesperson Peggy Fox.
“Vehicle accidents are a common cause of power outages. There are transformers on poles and transformers on the ground and when vehicles hit them, they can and do cause outages,” Fox said, though she confirmed that this particular box wasn’t a transformer.
Outage Update:
About 1200 @DominionEnergy customer outages in NoVa, most in McLean & Great Falls.Crews have been repairing a broken pole in Great Falls; crews heading to McLean.
Estimated Time of Restoration for both areas is 12 AM—3 AM.
Thank you for your patience.
— Peggy Fox (@PeggyDomEnergy) May 21, 2023
Georgetown Pike is closed between Potomac Knolls Drive and Kimberwicke Road in McLean due to power lines in the roadway. We anticipate this closure will last for several hours. Please use an alternate route. #FCPD pic.twitter.com/lSp1uxTOgH
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) May 20, 2023
Tysonians, who else's power went out last night and what did you do? #TysonsCorner #TysonsVA #Tysons #poweroutage https://t.co/7jhOV9IeMb
— Tysons, VA (@TysonsVA) May 21, 2023
The outage mostly affected Great Falls and McLean, including Tysons. Georgetown Pike was closed between Kimberwicke Road and Potomac Knolls Drive for multiple hours, starting around 6:30 p.m., as crews worked to restore power, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.
The loss of electricity came just one day after a separate crash took down power lines on Old Courthouse Road.
That crash on Friday (May 19) involved a tractor-trailer that hit a pole near Lord Fairfax Road and got entangled in the power lines. The truck blocked Old Courthouse between Hull Road and Gallows Road, requiring a night-long closure for repairs.
The resulting power outage, though, was relatively limited, affecting fewer than 50 Dominion Energy customers, according to the utility’s outage map.
Courthouse Rd remains closed between Gallows Rd and Hull Rd in Tysons. Please continue to avoid the area. Closure is expected to last through the night. pic.twitter.com/6QLHo0qQiV
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) May 20, 2023
The impact on power in the area seems limited. Dominion Energy shows outages affecting 48 customers, estimating restoration around 9 p.m. to midnight https://t.co/zNsObYkUCG
— Tysons Reporter (@TysonsReporter) May 19, 2023
GMU Graduates Protest Youngkin Speech — “About a dozen George Mason University students walked out of their graduation ceremony Thursday morning during Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s commencement speech…Of the graduates who did stay, some in the audience held signs reading ‘We will not debate humanity’ and ‘Mason demands action.'” [ABC7]
Democratic Committee Announces Endorsements — In this year’s school board races, the Fairfax County Democratic Committee has endorsed Ilryong Moon, Ryan McElveen, and Kyle McDaniel for the at-large seats, incumbent Melanie Meren for the Hunter Mill District and Mateo Dunne for Mount Vernon. More than 3,300 voters cast ballots in the committee’s first-ever endorsement caucus. [FCDC]
Local School Board Races Are Becoming More Partisan — “In blue Fairfax County, winning a school board seat is difficult without the party’s stamp. So for many school board candidates in the suburbs of Washington, the stakes are not in the days leading up to Nov. 7, they are here, in the private endorsement race to get their name on the party’s slate.” [The Washington Post]
Family Disappointed by Verdict in Hybla Valley Murder Trial — “Terrence Butler was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter for killing 23-year-old Raphael Pierce in the Hybla Valley area in August 2021. County prosecutors asked a jury to find Butler guilty of murder, with a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. Instead, they convicted him on a lesser charge this week and recommended a sentence of just three years.” [NBC4]
Sen. Warner Stumps for Springfield FBI HQ at Potomac Yards Metro Opening — “Warner repeatedly referenced with hope that the station could be connected to the — still very undetermined — new FBI Headquarters in Springfield that Warner and other Virginia leaders have been advocating for. For Alexandrians, though, the station was in-and-of-itself something to celebrate.” [ALXnow]
Road Closed in Centreville for Pipe Replacement — “Cabells Mill Drive (Route 970) between Walney Road (Route 657) and Northbourne Drive will be closed to through traffic, weather permitting, Monday, May 22 from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Tuesday, May 23 from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. to replace a stormwater pipe…Drivers are asked to follow posted detour signs.” [VDOT]
Traffic Blocked While Ducks Cross I-66 — “EMS Supervisor 404 arrived just in time to help block traffic while @VSPPIO & @FairfaxCountyPD moved a family of ducks from the middle of I-66. When one broke loose from the brood, the officer’s quick thinking helped get the ducks back safely in a row.” [FCFRD, FCPD/Twitter]
Virginia Releases Data on Covid in Wastewater — “At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Virginia Department of Health began pushing to use wastewater to track the spread of coronavirus. Now that data is available to the public. The dashboard, now available…uses wastewater from 36 treatment plants throughout Virginia to track and monitor the virus.” [WTOP]
Enforcement of Scott’s Run Alcohol and Swimming Bans Steps Up — “The Fairfax County Park Authority will be working collaboratively with the Fairfax County Police Department to ensure only permitted activities take place in this natural area, that people can recreate safely, and that the rules as they apply to alcohol and use of the preserve are observed.” [FCPA]
It’s Monday — Sunny, with a high near 81. Northeast wind 6 to 8 mph. At night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 57. East wind 7 to 10 mph. [Weather.gov]
Local transportation officials are dreaming of a better future for Metrobus, including a 24-hour route connecting Tysons and Bethesda.
That route and others are part of Metro’s draft “Visionary Network,” an aspirational redesign of the 50-year-old bus network that will not be implemented — at least in full.
“It’s kind of setting the table large and saying what the opportunities are, and then constraining it,” said Allison Davis, vice president of planning at the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, at the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors transportation committee meeting Tuesday (May 16).
Other highlights for Fairfax County in the visionary plan include an extension of the 38B bus route to Seven Corners. Currently, the bus runs from Ballston to Farragut Square. There could also be added connections to George Mason University, a new hub for Inova Alexandria Hospital, and busing at Dulles International Airport when train service isn’t running.
At the meeting, both Davis and Peter Cafiero, managing director of intermodal planning at WMATA, highlighted interest in the Tysons-Bethesda route, which could be enabled by the Capital Beltway widening that’s now under construction.
“We’ve had a ton of comments about that Bethesda-to-Tysons connection that I think a lot of people are really keen to see,” Davis said.
After collecting feedback on the visionary network through this spring, WMATA will put together two network designs this fall. One will be a short-term network that’s immediately usable, while the other will be a revised version of the visionary network.
Changes could begin in 2024 if Metro’s board of directors approves the recommended short-term network in December.
WMATA is collaborating on the project with the Fairfax County Department of Transportation, which manages the Fairfax Connector bus system.
“We have been working with our partners at WMATA since the beginning of the process,” said Michael Felschow, planning section chief in the transit services division of FCDOT. “Our focus is to make sure our plans coordinate well with their plans.”
That coordination will involve making sure there are no gaps or duplications in service and helping to define service levels for prioritized routes, including on corridors such as Route 50, Braddock Road, Columbia Pike and Little River Turnpike.
“Our system doesn’t really provide a lot of service in these corridors, but we want to make sure we’re linking to these corridors at key terminals,” Felschow said.
Even as county staff works with WMATA, the county’s Transit Strategic Plan should remain “the driver” for FCDOT’s decision-making, Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay said. Cost efficiency should also be a “huge driver” in determining who operates different bus routes.
“I do think the vision of where these routes are and how we can make sure there’s no gaps in service and other things is absolutely an essential thing to do,” McKay said.
As currently outlined, the visionary network would require a 35% increase in funding for Metrobus. WMATA’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2024 allocates $742.9 million to Metrobus, a slight decrease from the $743.9 million budgeted in FY 2023.
The public comment period for the draft visionary network runs until June 5. Community members can weigh in on the network redesign ideas online and at pop-up events. The visionary network is part of the broader Better Bus initiative.
Map via WMATA
For years, Fairfax County leaders have been using carrots to encourage property owners to adhere to the county’s Human Rights Ordinance. Now, some of them want to start using the stick.
During a meeting on Tuesday (May 16) discussing the Metropolitan Washington Regional Fair Housing Plan, staff laid out how Fairfax County fits into a regional push for more affordable housing and better protections for residents.
In addition to regional goals, the plan includes specific goals for each locality in the region. For Fairfax County, that includes enforcement of the Human Rights Ordinance passed back in 2010.
The 46-page ordinance has a detailed list of prohibited forms of housing discrimination, including employment or credit, as well as protection against retaliation for filing a discrimination complaint.
Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn said, given that it’s been 13 years since the Human Rights Ordinance was passed, it’s high time to take the gloves off and double down on enforcement.
“We’re doing the testing, we’re identifying where we need to do more work; I’m all for that, but frankly, at some point, we have to do real law enforcement,” Alcorn said. “We’re going to have to pivot. If we’re not making progress, it’s time to take a more aggressive law enforcement stance with this. If we don’t see progress moving forward, I think we’d want to see an option for a more aggressive law enforcement approach.”
Amanda Schlener said Fairfax County publishes testing reports every two years and the most recent, from fiscal year 2022, indicated the county filed 22 enforcement complaints against private companies. Of those, 11 were settled for monetary conciliation agreements.
Fairfax County isn’t alone in seeing housing discrimination. Alexandria officials recently shared that property owners have evicted residents for receiving public assistance.
Staff also said the county could do more to let local residents know about their rights.
“Sometimes people are not 100% sure of what their rights are,” said Deputy County Executive Ellicia Seard-McCormick. “The carrot is in teaching people what we’re trying to achieve.”
Overall, the plan includes seven regional goals and eight local goals. The local goals are:
- Increase home-ownership opportunities
- Increase housing choice for voucher holders
- Deliver more affordable housing
- Preserve multi-family and manufactured units
- Increase awareness of existing and upcoming affordable homeownership and rental opportunities in communities of color and other vulnerable communities.
- Increase community awareness of Fair Housing rights by developing and providing new Fair Housing training and outreach activities.
- Enforce the Fairfax County Human Rights Ordinance through testing-initiated complaints that identify areas of concern.
- Increase the accessibility of fair housing services for individuals with disabilities and for whom English is not their first language.
The plan also has proposed actions to achieve the goals, like co-locating housing with public facilities on county-owned sites and developing closer relationships with community organizations that can help reach out to non-English-speaking communities.
“This is not the be-all, end-all of our affordable housing policy…but this document is indeed very valuable,” Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay said. “We can have the best goals in the world, but if we don’t have strategies and implementation and monitoring, we’re stuck not knowing what progress we’re making.”
(Updated at 1:55 p.m.) A Vienna man has been arrested for allegedly raping a girl at a local park.
The suspect, Celvin Aragon Flores, met the victim online through a social media app and then “engaged in a sexual encounter with her at a park in Vienna,” the Town of Vienna Police Department says.
The sexual assault was reported to the VPD on Monday (May 15), though the department’s weekly recap suggests the assault occurred around 8 a.m. on April 16.
“Detectives from the Criminal Investigations Section, dedicated to this case, conducted interviews with the victim and witnesses, coordinated a forensic rape examination, and obtained search warrants,” police said.
Arrested yesterday (Thursday), Flores has been charged with sodomy, rape, aggravated sexual battery and animate object penetration. Additional charges are expected “as the case progresses,” according to the police department.
The VPD said it has notified victim services personnel and Child Protective Services, which “will provide the necessary assistance and ongoing support for the victim.”
When asked about the age of the victim, who’s identified only as a juvenile, and the name of the park, police said they were unable to disclose that information.
“Due to this case being an active investigation, we must abide by certain protocols to ensure the integrity of the case,” VPD public information officer Juan Vazquez said.
