by Ben Whedon
A prestigious U.S. high school reportedly received more than $1 million in donations from Chinese-linked organizations, a report from watchdog group Parents Defending Education indicates.
Thomas Jefferson High School, situated in Fairfax County, Va., focuses on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education and ranks among the nation’s best high schools.
PDE obtained the school’s donor list, which revealed that the school had received funds from the Ameson Foundation, Shirble HK and Tsinghua University, all Chinese-affiliated groups, Fox News noted. In total, the school received “over $1,000,000 worth of donations from Chinese interests since 2014,” per PDE.
Ameson is a DC-based non-profit group that promotes cultural exchanges between China and other nations. It has donated more than $250,000 to the school. Shirble HK, meanwhile, largely deals with property development in China and has given more than $500,000.
Tsinghua University, for its part, gave $300,000 to the school.
Thomas Jefferson High School previously came under fire late last year over allegations that it withheld certain academic honors from high-achieving students until after many early submission deadlines for colleges, which parents said was motivated by the school’s push for equity.
– – –
Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.
Photo “Thomas Jefferson High School” by Thomas Jefferson High School.
