Speaker Don Scott Blocked from Speaking at First Colonial HS; Trump Vet Affairs Chief Calls Kaine, Rep. Scott Liars on VA Facility Staffing They're Not Lying About
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First Colonial H.S: Virginia House Speaker Blocked from HS Speaking Engagement
Yesterday, March 26, Virginia House Speaker Don Scott and his law partner Jeffrey Breit were set to speak to students at First Colonial High School in Virginia Beach.
But as Speaker Scott prepared to head to the Virginia Beach high school, he was told he was barred from attending.
Breit and Speaker Scott were scheduled to speak to students in First Colonial High School’s Legal Studies Academy on issues regarding careers in the law on March 26. The school is located in Mill Dam Road in Virginia Beach.
The event featuring Breit and the Virginia House Speaker attracted so much interest it was moved from a classroom to the high school auditorium.
Yesterday, WAVY TV was first to report the story that Speaker Scott was informed he was not “vetted” to enter the school and was barred from all Virginia Beach Schools unless parents were informed beforehand.
The Principal of First Colonial H.S. is Dr. Daniel Miani. Black Virginia News reached out to Principal Miani and other officials at the school for comment but received no response. Black Virginia News also reached out the School Board in Virginia Beach.
Below: WAVY reported the statement on the incident involving Virginia’s first Black Speaker of the House.
Both Breit and Speaker Scott are law partners at the prominent Breit Biniazan Law firm. The firm has offices in Virginia Beach, Richmond, Portsmouth, Arlington and Washington DC.
“Speaker Scott not vetted or Parents told? Damn shame!” wrote Gaylene Kanoyton on Facebook this morning. Other comments on social media were far more animated.
Ten days ago on March 17, three Virginia Beach Delegates issued a joint press release in response to a racist incident at Virginia Beach's Kellam High School The release is below.
Delegates Feggans, Askew, and Convirs-Fowler Condemn Racial Harassment at Kellam High School
Delegate Michael Feggans (HD97), Delegate Alex Askew (HD95), and Delegate Kelly Convirs-Fowler (HD96) today issued a joint statement condemning the extreme racial harassment that an African American student experienced at Kellam High School on March 13, 2025. The representatives denounced the incident as unacceptable behavior, expressed deep concern for the student victim, and reaffirmed their commitment to fostering diversity, inclusivity, and respect in all Virginia Beach schools. They also commended the Kellam High School teacher who intervened immediately during the incident to ensure the emotional and physical safety of the student and applauded the school administration for swiftly addressing the matter.
“This kind of racist behavior is absolutely unacceptable and has no place in our public schools or anywhere in the Commonwealth,” said Delegate Michael Feggans. The fear-inducing actions taken by the group of students against a vulnerable fellow classmate on school grounds were disgusting and reprehensible. “I commend the Kellam High School teacher who intervened immediately to protect the student from further harm and appreciate the school administration’s quick response to this incident. I have full confidence in Kellam High School Principal Dr. Ryan Schubart and Virginia Beach Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Don Robertson to ensure this situation is addressed properly and that our schools remain welcoming to all.”
“I am deeply troubled that any student had to endure such hateful harassment, and our schools must be places of tolerance and understanding,” said Delegate Alex Askew. “This incident is a painful reminder of the work we still have to do. I urge parents to talk with their children about racism and cultural sensitivity to help prevent incidents like this. We must all work together to promote a safe, inclusive educational environment for every child in our community.”
“As a parent and former public educator, this kind of behavior is alarming and unacceptable for a diverse and inclusive community like ours,” Delegate Convirs-Fowler said. “I want to extend my deepest gratitude to the educational staff for their swift and professional approach to this incident and striving toward a more welcoming environment for all learners going forward. As friends and neighbors across Virginia Beach, we must remain committed to working together to ensure hate never feels welcomed here.”
Moving forward, Delegates Feggans, Askew, and Convirs-Fowler urge continued community-wide efforts to cultivate a safe, inclusive atmosphere in every school. They emphasize that confronting racism and promoting respect requires vigilance, education, and open dialogue among students, parents, and educators. Delegate Feggans, Delegate Askew, and Delegate Convirs-Fowler stand united in declaring that such actions have no place in Virginia Beach or anywhere in the Commonwealth, and they are committed to working with school officials and the community to ensure incidents like this are never repeated.
Last year, Kempsville High School's varsity baseball team forfeited the remainder of their season in May 2024 after evidence of racism, hate speech, and harassment surfaced.
Trump Veteran Affairs Secretary Calls Kaine, Rep. Scott Liars on VA Staffing Issue They’re Not Lying About
In a March 26, message on social media, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins, accused U.S. Senator Tim Kaine and Congressman Bobby Scott of “lying to veterans.”
But in subsequent interviews with local media in Hampton Roads, Sec. Collins was vague about what exactly Sen. Kaine and Rep. Scott were “lying to veterans” about. In an interview with 13NewsNow Sec. Collins said the two were “fear mongering” as related to a soon-to-be-open new facility in Chesapeake.
The VA’s new facility can be staffed up to over 550 employees. But when the doors open in mid-April, there will only be 150 employees. Sec. Collins confirmed to WAVY that the facility will open under the number of max hires — 150 employees. Sec. Collins claims the facility will be fully staffed later.
A close look at the statements of Sen. Kaine and Rep. Scott, who said the facility will be under staffed at about one-third of the needed staff, is factual.
“I said the clinic would open with about one-third of the needed staff. My colleague [Rep. Kiggans] and Secretary Collins characterized that as a lie, fear-mongering and partisan,” Rep. Scott pointed out in a social media statement on March 26.
“Then they said the clinic would open with about one-third of the needed staff. Just like I said. You can’t make this stuff up. I would invite my colleague to join us in opposing the Trump-Musk plan to fire 80,000 VA employees. The DOGE mass firing of federal employees has made it incredibly difficult to retain and recruit qualified civil servants to administer quality care to veterans,” Rep. Scott pointedly added.
Though Sec. Collins and Rep. Kiggans accused Sen. Kaine and Rep. Scott of “fear mongering” around a visit they made on March 19 to the VA’s North Battlefield Outpatient Clinic — the fact is the facility will not open at full staffing.
The ribbon cutting for the facility is on April 10 and the first patients will arrive seven days later on the 17th. On that date, the facility will not be fully staffed. The fireworks between the four federal officials happens only 22 days after Collins’ boss, President Trump was revealed to be planning a cut of 80,000 employees at the Department of Veterans Affairs. That news hit on March 5, as revealed in an internal memo and reported by AP.
“The VA's chief of staff, Christopher Syrek, sent a memo to senior agency officials on Tuesday, telling them the goal was to return the agency to 2019 staffing levels of just under 400,000. That would mean cutting about 82,000 staff,” reported Reuters on March 5.
“Collins made it clear that he’s looking at a staffing reduction of 15 percent nationwide — but made clear that’s a goal not a mandate,” reported WTKR yesterday on March 26. Trump’s Veterans Affairs Secretary also said staffing at the facility will occur in “phases.”
Virginia has the second highest percentage of veterans at 10 percent of the population. There are over 430,000 veterans in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Rep. Jen Kiggans, who is being pressured by constituents and local activists to hold a public pre-announced town hall to take questions on all the changes on the federal level, claimed that Sen. Kaine and Rep. Scott were playing politics.
“It is unfortunate to see Democrat lawmakers pull a dishonest political stunt regarding the opening of the new VA Health Clinic in Chesapeake,” Rep. Kiggans wrote on March 26. Rep. Kiggans message wasn’t specific about what was “dishonest” about what she defined as a “stunt” in the matter of the new VA outpatient facility but she and Sec. Collins appeared to have coordinated communications.
So far, neither Rep. Kiggans or Sec. Collins are claiming that new VA facility in Chesapeake will be fully staffed. It opens on April 17. In a communication this morning on social media today (March 27, 2025), VoteVets called Kiggans a liar.
“OK. To be CLEAR: Jen Kiggans is LYING. It is not standard practice to open VA clinics in “phases,” the veterans advocacy group VoteVets.org wrote today on social media.
There is no confirmation that Sec. Collins claim that staffing will be done in “phases” was pre-planned. The continuous announcements of federal layoffs and firings of federal employees by Sec. Collins’ boss, President Trump, indicate that under-staffing at facilities would be a logical result.
Rep. Scott and Sen. Kaine, who voted to confirm Collins as Secretary of Veterans Affairs, visited the VA clinic in Chesapeake on March 19. Yesterday, Rep. Scott confirmed that there was a staffing shortage at the Chesapeake VA facility that would be in effect when the center opens on April 17.
Sec. Collins stated during an interview on 13NewsNow that the staffing would begin ramping up until seven days after the center opens.
Rep. Kiggans, released a statement regarding a town hall held without her last weekend in which participants invited her. Rep. Kiggans did not attend. She was “represented” at the event as a cardboard cutout. Below is her statement regarding the event.
Below: A VoteVets social media post unrelated to the Chesapeake facility on March 26
Below: Kaine on X on March 19, 2025
Gov. Youngkin Removes Bert Ellis from UVA Board of Visitors, Appoints Cuccinelli
Gov. Youngkin has appointed former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli to the University of Virginia Board of Visitors. Gov. Youngkin removed Bert Ellis from the Board Visitors which was announced in a press release on March 26. It’s unusual to see a member of the Board of Visitors fired.
Ellis was appointed in 2022. In Sept. 2023, Ellis made news after the Richmond Times Dispatch ran a story on FOIA’s text messages he was a part of.
RELATED: Bert Ellis apologizes for texts targeting UVa students, administrators (RTD, Sept. 2023)
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