POLICY UPDATE: NASWVA Support for Feds-vs.-GMU Anti-Discrimination Fight; Early Win for SCOPs Pilot; Student/Faculty Gun Safety Walkout; Major Protest Dates

(Week of Sept. 7-12, 2025)     

• NASWVA Drafting Letter of Support for GMU in Its Battle Against Federal Anti-Discrimination Claims

• Special Conservators of the Peace Pilot Program Already Reducing Law Enforcement Involvement in Mental Health Patient Transport

• 27 High Schools Conduct Walkout to Urge Policy Makers to Enact Tougher Gun Safety Laws, Reduce Fears of Mass Shootings

• NASW/NASWVA Oppose Extension of DC National Guard Activation in Federal Takeover of District, VA National Guard Awaits Youngkin’s Decision  

• Social Workers Thanked for Participation in Peaceful Protests

• Major Peacefest (Sept. 21), No Kings 2.0 (Oct. 18) and United We Stand (Nov. 2) Protests Announced

George Mason University’s governing board announced late last week that it wants to negotiate with the Trump administration to resolve accusations of anti-discrimination violations of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, despite strong opposition by alumni, students, donors, and higher education leaders. Often citing GMU President Washington’s comments on DEI, the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice launched four recent investigations into the 40,000-student university, which includes the nationally ranked Department of Social Work in the College of Public Health. In response, NASW Virginia is developing a letter of support for Washington and GMU, highlighting the academic excellence and workforce development successes of the Department of Social Work. The letter also will state that DEI programs are not illegal and that the NASW Code of Ethics requires social workers to adopt and advance diversity and inclusion practices, as well as to help reduce health inequities, as GMU states in its own College of Public Health mission. Several of the federal probes, however, have declared the charges of discrimination to be true, which puts millions of federal university research dollars at high risk. The university Board of Visitors was given 10 days from the Sept. 2 declaration to respond, including the issuance of an apology by Washington, which he has flatly refused to make.

A $1.1-million pilot program of Special Conservators of the Peace (SCOPs) launched in late August at Valley Health to substitute trained mental health professionals such as social workers instead of first-responding officers when people in behavioral health crises must be transported to hospitals for evaluation and treatment. The SCOP program, championed by Gov. Youngkin in his Right Help, Right Now initiative, has supported 10 people to date, said the healthcare provider. SCOPs are armed and unarmed personnel authorized by courts to execute specific law enforcement duties. According to the governor’s office, an estimated 97 hours of law enforcement officer time has already been saved as a result of the program, which is on track for 24/7 operation by December 31. Chapter Executive Director Debra Riggs serves on a Right Help, Right Now task force to accelerate mental and behavioral health workforce development.

Students at 27 Virginia high schools joined a national walkout September 5 to protest gun violence in schools, echoing the call for stronger gun safety measures that NASWVA has made in its policy statement and advocacy outreach. The peaceful event, organized by Students Demand Action and supported by faculty and school leaders, drew attention to the anger, fear, and frustration of what the “school shooting generation” say are their perceived risks of attending school. The event also highlighted the wider community outcomes of fears around mass shootings in schools, workplaces, and public spaces. Read our statement here.

DC National Guard troops, along with other federal law enforcement from 20 U.S. agencies, have had their orders and assignments extended through December to continue patrolling or working to support the Trump administration’s takeover of the District. Gov. Youngkin has yet to announce whether he will do the same for Virginia National Guard, which has been supporting the supposed “anti-crime” surge in “behind-the-scenes” ways. NASW Virginia and NASW strongly oppose this obvious ruse to strengthen the president’s move toward an authoritarian police state, and a DC lawsuit filed last week challenges Trump’s use of the National Guard and asks a federal court to intervene. DC Attorney General Brian Schwalb called the situation, which now engages 1,000 troops, an illegal use of the military for domestic law enforcement. “No American jurisdiction should be involuntarily subjected to military occupation,” he wrote when filing the suit.  

NASWVA thanks the social workers who participated in peaceful protests last weekend such as the Free DC March Saturday, Sept. 7. Coming up September 21 in Richmond is Peacefest, an arts- and music-based protest against Governor Youngkin’s support of Trump’s rising tyranny, the DC occupation, mass deportation of undocumented migrants, and harsh treatment of LGBTQIA2S+ individuals.

Save the following two dates, too, for two more pending peaceful protests that organizers hope social workers and others will attend: (1) the next massive national protest on Oct. 18, No Kings 2.0, and (2) a Virginia-based “United We Stand” march and rally Nov. 2, 3-5:30 p.m., in Richmond by the Southern Christian Leadership Council (organizer), 50501, faith-based groups, social justice organizations, and individuals marching to and around City Hall in adoption of tactics used by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights movement.