Though nothing that happens in public school districts in Northern Virginia should shock people anymore, the outrage surrounding the revelation from angry parents over the last several weeks that some districts had for years been withholding National Merit Awards recognition information from students and their families – allegedly on grounds they didn’t want to hurt other students’ feelings – was so palpable that it didn’t take long for the Youngkin administration to spring into action.

As we previously reported, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares has already launched an investigation into the matter in order to determine what happened and to find out whether or not the school systems in question violated the Virginia Human Rights Act, which states in part that “it is the policy of the Commonwealth to”:

“Safeguard all individuals within the Commonwealth from unlawful discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, military status, or disability in places of public accommodation, including educational institutions and in real estate transactions”

According to multiple reports, many of the students impacted were Asian-American students.

On Monday, Gov. Glenn Youngkin sounded off on the controversy during an interview with local TV news station 7News. During the interview, Youngkin also blasted back at Democrat state legislators who have called the Youngkin administration’s investigation into this matter a “fake investigation.”

“That’s the exact same thing they said last year when we called for an investigation in Loudoun County around the sexual assault of young women and what appeared to be the cover-up of that,” Youngkin responded. “And after a grand jury found that in fact it had been a cover-up and [then] officials were indicted and subsequently fired, the reality of where we stand in the light of truth versus political posturing comes full circle.”

Watch:

Gov. Glenn Youngkin responds to the criticism from some Democrats who are calling AG Jason Miyares’ investigation a “fake investigation” and a “fake controversy.”

Story: https://t.co/Riy1IBXqMR pic.twitter.com/b7Y3D8JgPq

— Nick Minock (@NickMinock) January 16, 2023

Youngkin also called out Fairfax County Public Schools over the money spent on bringing in so-called “equity consultants”:

“The reality is that we have a superintendent in Fairfax schools who has explicitly stated that her top objective is equal outcomes for all students, regardless of the price,” said Youngkin. “Now we know the price includes paying $450,000 to a liberal consultant to come in and teach the administrators in Fairfax County how to do this. What it appears happened is that principals in schools decided that they were going to systematically withhold accolades and a path to college admission and scholarships from high-performing students.”

Watch:

Gov. Glenn Youngkin is blasting Fairfax County Public Schools for spending nearly half a million dollars on equity consultants.

Story: https://t.co/Riy1IBXqMR pic.twitter.com/2p1RY4RFpT

— Nick Minock (@NickMinock) January 16, 2023

Youngkin also ripped the school system’s “maniacal focus” on equity-based policies over merit-based education:

“They have a maniacal focus on equal outcomes for all students at all costs,” Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin told 7News Reporter Nick Minock in a one-on-one interview in Richmond. “And at the heart of the American dream, is excelling, is advancing, is stretching. And recognizing that we have students [who] have different capabilities. Some students have the ability to perform at one level, others need more help, and we have to allow students to run as fast as they can, to dream the biggest dreams they can possibly dream and then go get them.”

“We can raise the ceiling and the floor in Virginia,” Youngkin went on to say.

Watch:

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin says Fairfax County Public schools has a “maniacal focus” on equal outcomes and he says that “is hurting Virginia’s children” including the children FCPS aspires to help.

Story: https://t.co/Riy1IBXYCp pic.twitter.com/vWkU49mV5F

— Nick Minock (@NickMinock) January 16, 2023

Virginia’s Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears has also slammed the actions of the public school “leaders” in northern Virginia, telling Fox News that “this is not the way. This is not America.”

Pushback against dangerous “woke” education standards as well as the Democrat push to exclude parents from being allowed a say in what is taught to their children was central to Youngkin’s election victory in 2021 over Democrat nominee and former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe.

In this latest controversy involving multiple Virginia public school districts, we’re seeing once again the power of parents in raising awareness, initiating state-level action and getting results when they can’t get satisfaction at the local level. We’re also seeing Youngkin and officials in his administration continue to fulfill their campaign promise of putting students and parents first when it comes to education.

Though Florida, as Gov. Ron DeSantis has often said, is the state where “‘woke’ goes to die,” Virginia is not far behind on that front, and we can thank Youngkin and his team – and vigilant parents who aren’t afraid to speak out – for that.

Flashback: Virginia Dems Hardest Hit After Latest Glenn Youngkin ‘Scandal’ Crumbles Under Scrutiny