University of Virginia president resigned after ‘pressure campaign' from Trump admin to remove him from post
James Ryan submitted his resignation on Friday and posted an open letter on social media explaining the decision, saying he had made it 'with a very heavy heart' and that, while he is 'inclined to fight for what I believe in,' he could not 'make a unilateral decision to fight the federal government in order to save my own job.'
His departure from the school he has served since 2018 will be effective 'no later than August 15,' The New York Times has since reported.
The NYT first reported that the administration was trying to force Ryan out of his role on Thursday, a saga that began earlier this year when members of the UVA board alleged that it was not in compliance with Trump's January executive order banning organizations that receive federal funding from engaging in DEI hiring practices.
The UVA's Board of Visitors voted unanimously to shut down its DEI offices in March but Harmeet Dhillon, who leads the Justice Department's civil rights division, went on to write to Ryan on April 28 notifying him about the complaints regarding his leadership.
That was followed by another letter on June 17 that warned the administrator: 'Time is running short, and the department's patience is wearing thin.'
Ryan's resignation letter last week made clear that he felt he faced an ultimatum: step down or cost the university millions of dollars in vital support.
'While there are very important principles at play here, I would at a very practical level be fighting to keep my job for one more year while knowingly and willingly sacrificing others in this community,' he wrote.
Dhillon, who happens to be an alumna of the UVA School of Law, responded to his ousting by saying: 'The United States Department of Justice has a zero-tolerance policy toward illegal discrimination in publicly-funded universities. We have made this clear in many ways to the nation's most prominent institutions of higher education, including the University of Virginia.
'When university leaders lack commitment to ending illegal discrimination in hiring, admissions, and student benefits – they expose the institutions they lead to legal and financial peril. We welcome leadership changes in higher education that signal institutional commitment to our nation's venerable federal civil rights laws.'
A spokesperson for the university said: 'UVA is committed to complying with all federal laws and has been cooperating with the Department of Justice in the ongoing inquiries. The federal government's support of the university is essential to continue the core mission of research, education and clinical care.'
Two of the state's Democratic senators, Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, have since leapt to Ryan's defense, declaring in a joint statement: 'It is outrageous that officials in the Trump Department of Justice demanded the Commonwealth's globally recognized university remove President Ryan – a strong leader who has served UVA honorably and moved the university forward – over ridiculous 'culture war' traps.
'Decisions about UVA's leadership belong solely to its Board of Visitors, in keeping with Virginia's well-established and respected system of higher education governance. This is a mistake that hurts Virginia's future.'
Warner also spoke up for Ryan on CBS's Face the Nation on Sunday morning, telling anchor Margaret Brennan: 'This is the most outrageous action, I think, this crowd has taken on education.
'Jim Ryan had done a very good job; just completed a major capital campaign. For him to be threatened, and, literally, there was indication that they received the letter that if he didn't resign on a day last week, by five o'clock, all these cuts would take place.'
The Trump administration has shown an appetite for taking on America's elite Ivy League universities as centers of entitlement and liberal values, attacking both Harvard and Columbia in a very public manner, although its battle with UVA was conducted much more discreetly, a process enabled by internal conservative opposition to Ryan's tenure.
Several members of UVA's board were appointed by the state's Republican governor Glenn Youngkin while the institution also has an outspoken right-leaning alumni organization known as the Jefferson Council, whose co-founder, Jim Bacon, has accused Ryan of 'indoctrinating' students by championing social justice and diversity.
Ross Mugler, acting CEO and board chair of the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges, warned: 'The situation at the University of Virginia represents a serious escalation in the political pressure campaign against higher education – and a clear signal that this fight is not confined to elite private institutions like Harvard or Columbia.
'What we're seeing is a widening effort to reshape governance, leadership and institutional autonomy across the entire sector – including public universities that serve as civic anchors and engines of opportunity in their states.'
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The Independent
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The bonus is activated automatically once certain temperature thresholds are exceeded.' 5.43pm CEST 17:43 Jakub Krupa I have earlier promised you I would keep an eye on the developments in Finland, where police reported that several people were stabbed near a shopping centre in Tampere. The latest update from the emergency services is that they cordoned off the scene of the incident and are interviewing witnesses. But the Finnish Broadcasting Company, of Yle, says there is still little clarity as to how many people were wounded in the attack and the extent of their injuries. I will let you know if or when we know more. 5.39pm CEST 17:39 Angela Giuffrida in Rome Lauren Sánchez packed 27 designer dresses for her wedding to the billionaire Amazon founder, Jeff Bezos, in Venice last week, but left with only 26 after one went missing. The couple, who are now honeymooning in Taormina, Sicily, were wed during a star-studded three-day celebration in the lagoon city. They left Venice on Sunday, but mystery over the missing dress has generated chatter in Venice, with Corriere della Sera claiming that it was stolen, possibly by someone who evaded security and gatecrashed a party on the tiny island of San Giorgio, where the couple exchanged rings, on Friday. The newspaper said the number of gatecrashers to the event was such that officers from the local unit of Italy's anti-terrorism squad, Digos, were called to the island. Sources familiar with the situation confirmed that a dress had gone missing but denied it was stolen. It is unclear where the dress disappeared and when. The couple lodged at the seven-star Aman hotel, where the bride's wedding outfits were reportedly kept under close watch. The sources stressed that no legal complaint about the missing dress had been made to police, with the expectation being that the garment would eventually 'turn up'. They also denied the report that a dress caught fire and that the celebrations had been infiltrated by gatecrashers. 5.37pm CEST 17:37 Jakub Krupa … and on a slightly lighter note … 5.36pm CEST 17:36 Serbian police detained 79 protesters late on Wednesday in a crackdown on street demonstrators calling for a snap election and an end of the 12-year rule of the President Aleksandar Vučić and his Serbian Progressive Party, Reuters reported. Police and protesters clashed in the capital Belgrade and the cities of Novi Sad, Niš and Novi Pazar, the interior ministry said in the statement. On Wednesday evening, police moved to remove students in front of the entrance of the Law Faculty in Belgrade, and briefly detained dozens, N1 TV reported. On Thursday, the European Union strongly condemned 'acts of hatred and violence' in Serbia and called for calm, AFP said. 'We strongly condemn all acts of hate and violence. The rights of peaceful demonstration, freedom of assembly and freedom of expression are to be upheld,' the EU delegation in Serbia posted on X. The statement said, 'police action must be proportionate and respect fundamental rights.' Agencies are also noting that tennis superstar Novak Djoković pumped his arms when celebrating a win over Dan Evans at Wimbledon – a gesture that has become a symbol of the protests. 5.30pm CEST 17:30 Jon Henley Europe correspondent and Angela Giuffrida in Rome A wildfire fanned by gale-force winds has forced the evacuation of more than 1,500 people on the Greek island of Crete, officials have said, as large swathes of continental Europe baked in a punishing early summer heatwave linked to at least nine deaths. About 230 firefighters, along with 46 vehicles and helicopters, were battling the blaze on Thursday after it broke out 24 hours earlier near Ierapetra on the south-east coast of the country's largest island, threatening to engulf houses and hotels. A fire brigade spokesperson, Vassilis Vathrakogiannis, said: 'There are wind gusts in the area, some measuring 9 on the Beaufort scale, triggering rekindling and hindering firefighting efforts.' He added that four settlements had been evacuated. Residents and tourists were taking shelter at an indoor stadium and some had left Crete by boat, authorities said. Local media reported some homes had been damaged. An estimated 5,000 more holidaymakers left south-east Crete independently.
