Jason Miyares, the Attorney General of Virginia, has accused Jay Jones, a candidate for Attorney General, of endangering students by supporting HB257. This bill ended the mandatory reporting of certain school crimes to law enforcement. Miyares made this statement on the social media platform X.
“Jay Jones championed HB257, ending the requirement for schools to report crimes, including sexual battery, on school grounds to law enforcement,” said Jason Stuart Redding Miyares, Virginia State Executive – Attorney General. “Jay was warned students would pay the price. He ignored warnings and voted for the bill, enabling school cover-ups of sexual assaults. Like always, he sided with criminals and put our kids in danger.”
According to Virginia Mercury, in 2020, Virginia enacted HB257, which removed the requirement for principals to report certain misdemeanor-level incidents to police while maintaining mandatory reporting for felonies. The change sparked controversy, with critics expressing concerns about potential reductions in school safety and others arguing it would prevent the over-criminalization of students. In 2022, lawmakers took steps to restore stricter reporting requirements.
The Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services reported that Virginia’s 2023–24 school safety survey included participation from 1,946 schools. Of these schools, 66% reported having school resource officers and 50% activated crisis plans for actual events. Additionally, 10% received hoax threats such as bomb or swatting calls. Earlier surveys recorded 681 student arrests related to on-campus incidents.
Virginia previously led the nation in referring students to police; however, HB257 provided principals with more discretion regarding misdemeanors. In 2022, lawmakers sought to reduce that discretion while many other states continue not to report minor offenses to law enforcement extensively.
Miyares was elected as Virginia’s 49th Attorney General in 2021 after serving in the House of Delegates and working as a prosecutor in Virginia Beach. His priorities include public safety, consumer protection, combating fentanyl distribution, and prosecuting organized retail crime.
