Virginia Bill Seeks to Redefine January 6 Riot in Schools

A new legislative proposal in Virginia aims to change how public schools depict the events of January 6, 2021, at the U.S. Capitol. Specifically, it would prevent schools from labeling the incident as a “peaceful protest.”

Democratic Representative Dan Helmer from Fairfax has pre-filed House Bill 333 ahead of the upcoming legislative session, which begins Wednesday. If this bill is enacted, public school districts would be required to frame the events of that day as an “unprecedented and violent attack on our democratic institutions, infrastructure, and members of Congress aimed at overturning the results of the 2020 presidential election.”

Additionally, the bill would restrict schools from suggesting that any actions on January 6 were justified due to claims of election fraud, or from describing the day’s events in any way that could be perceived as peaceful.

Helmer’s bill would apply exclusively to public schools and wouldn’t mandate that schools teach about January 6 at all. But if they choose to do so, they must adhere to the stipulations outlined in HB 333.

In a statement announcing the bill, Helmer characterized the January 6 incident as “an unprecedented tragedy in American history.” He criticized attempts, particularly by President Trump and his supporters, to recast the events in a more favorable light, stating, “But Virginians remember our history.” He then recalled the role of the Virginia State Police and National Guard during the tumultuous events.

Despite his efforts, previous legislation introduced by Helmer in 2023 to prevent individuals convicted of crimes related to the January 6 events from holding public office did not gain sufficient support to proceed in committee.

Furthermore, Helmer has also proposed a separate bill to enforce a ban on assault weapons, which is part of his agenda ahead of the new session.