A nonpartisan public interest litigation organization is pushing for a criminal investigation into Portsmouth Public Schools (PPS) due to claims that the district used taxpayer money to host a political rally for Democratic candidates, particularly aimed at Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger.
The Liberty Justice Center is advocating for a formal inquiry, following an event where Spanberger, recently elected as governor, held a rally at IC Norcom High School. This event was reportedly attended by Jay Jones, a controversial attorney general candidate who has since been elected to the state legislature.
Brendan Philbin, senior counsel at the Liberty Justice Center, commented that this scenario represents a significant misappropriation of public resources. He mentioned that teachers and staff should be preparing for the school year, yet they were instead engaged in an unpaid political event.
According to Virginia law, it constitutes a felony if someone in a position of authority uses public resources for unauthorized purposes that exceed $1,000. Philbin further explained that the PPS allegedly breached Virginia Statute 18.2-112.1(B), which addresses the “misuse of public assets.” This statute defines public property as assets owned or financed by governmental entities.
The law indicates that if any permanent official uses public property for private purposes unrelated to their duties, and the value exceeds $1,000 within a year, it is deemed a fourth-degree crime.
The Liberty Justice Center maintains that the costs associated with renting rooms, the time and labor of teachers and support staff needed for the event, and other resources contributed to a value exceeding the $1,000 threshold for the political rally.
Interestingly, in an email exchange between the campaign and school officials, Principal Tisha Sanders offered facilities if space issues arose during the political event.
The rally took place on the first day designated for teachers to prepare for the school year, which typically involves setting up classrooms and planning lessons.
Moreover, the Liberty Justice Center claims that Spanberger also breached ethics regulations by failing to report contributions made by the school board as required under Virginia Statute 24.2-947.4(B)(2).
This alleged misuse of public funds came to light after a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request revealed incongruences regarding the nature of the event. While PPS initially argued that it was a private function and allowed due to existing access, emails indicated otherwise, with RSVP links shared among teachers.
A spokesperson for PPS mentioned that the school initially perceived the event as educational rather than political, and upon realizing it was campaign-related, staff were instructed not to participate. The district is reportedly reassessing its policies and procedures to ensure they align with school board regulations and state laws.
The Liberty Justice Center sent a letter to Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares and Portsmouth Commonwealth’s Attorney Stephanie Morales but has not yet received a response regarding the potential investigation.
Efforts to contact Miyares, PPS, IC Norcom High School, and other involved parties for comments went unanswered prior to publication.
