After ousting first Black superintendent, VMI appoints interim as search continues for new leader
The Virginia Military Institute Board of Visitors named Brigadier General Dallas Clark acting superintendent Saturday afternoon, but didn't set a firm date for when a new superintendent will be selected. It's the first significant decision the school has made concerning its leadership since the board drew scrutiny for opting not to extend the contract of the institution's first Black superintendent in February.
Clark, a graduate of VMI, has been working with the institution intermittently as the institute planning officer and deputy superintendent for finance and support at VMI, overseeing several offices, including finance and budget, auxiliary services, and facilities management.
Clark's appointment comes after the board launched a search for a new superintendent following its vote against offering an extension past June to Ret. Major General Cedric Wins, the first Black superintendent. The institution desegregated in 1968.
The board cast the controversial 6-10 vote without any reasoning, saying only it was 'supremely grateful' for Wins' service after being appointed superintendent in 2020, when the institution was facing public allegations of racism. The Washington Post first reported the accusations, and a state-commissioned investigation later confirmed deep-rooted racial and gender disparities at the school.
A resolution read by the board stated that Wins assumed the duties of superintendent 'amid a tumultuous time.' Still, VMI successfully navigated 'a worldwide pandemic, social unrest, and a decade-long decline in admissions applications under his leadership,' the resolution stated.
Highlights of Wins' tenure included the school receiving the second-largest number of applications in the institution's history and increasing state funding and major funding for capital projects.
Tensions between the superintendent and some of those connected with the institution escalated in 2022 when Wins requested funding to expand Title IX and bolster diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. His effort ignited backlash from a faction of alumni, parents and students tied to the Spirit of VMI PAC, a political action committee that urged supporters to 'reject the woke assault on VMI.'
Wins did not comment immediately after the Feb. 28 vote but later defended his leadership, opining that his tenure ended because of 'bias, emotion and ideology' rather than sound judgment.
A class of 1986 graduate, Vince Allen, commended the board on Saturday for rolling back the diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.
'The BOV has displayed great courage in facing political pressure in trying to undo the damage done to VMI,' Allen said. 'I encourage continued effort to restore the honor, the ideals and traditions of VMI.'
Other speakers, including class of 1975 graduate Ronald Norman, expressed disappointment with the board's decision against Wins, who 'did nothing, but great things for this institute,' Norman said.
'Like some, maybe you blame him for things that occurred even before he got here, if so, odds were stacked against him from day one, no matter how great his performance,' Norman said. 'Did this board make fair and impartial decisions for the good of VMI, or were they personal and hidden agendas?'
Cadet Isaiah Glover said Wins inspired him to attend VMI after watching his 2021 Business Insider interview, and experiencing the 'inclusive culture' through sports and the various programs. He hoped VMI would be 'just as inclusive' for future cadets.
Thomas Gottwald, interim board president, did not respond to comments about Wins, but commented on Glover's remarks about inclusion.
'I'll tell you, sir, that there's not a person on this board that doesn't share your desire to have an inclusive culture here at VMI for everyone,' Gottwald said. 'The proof's in the pudding. So, I'm telling you you can judge it by our actions.'
As of April 22, the superintendent search committee learned around 35 people have expressed interest in becoming the next superintendent.
SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Finally! Penn will erase trans athlete's records. But are they just biding time?
From a rollback of the diversity, equity and inclusion bureaucracy to accountability for antisemitism, President Donald Trump has not wasted time in going after the worst aspects of higher education. President Donald Trump has been on quite the winning streak. That includes major wins in the liberal bastion of American academia. Not bad for a Republican president. From a rollback of the diversity, equity and inclusion bureaucracy to accountability for antisemitism on campus, Trump has not wasted time in going after the worst aspects of modern higher education. And university leaders are paying attention, given the Trump administration's threat to withhold federal funding to schools that don't comply. The latest victory is against the University of Pennsylvania, which in recent years has been in the hot seat for both its lackluster response to antisemitism as well as its decision to allow transgender athletes to compete on women's sports teams. From the moment he stepped foot back in the Oval Office, Trump has been committed to bringing sanity back to women's sports and spaces. He promised to undo the damage of former President Joe Biden's disastrous Title IX rewrite and executive orders that prioritized gender identity over biological sex. Trump is right: Transgender athletes turn girls' track meets into a farce | Opinion Penn has agreed to not only prohibit transgender athletes from women's sports, but it is also righting its past wrongs. Penn's mea culpa is a welcome outcome for female athletes This all began in 2022, when Penn swimmer Lia Thomas became the first transgender athlete to win a NCAA Division I title. Thomas set many other school records, after joining the women's team following three seasons on the men's team. It's the case that really sparked the movement of women fighting for fairness in female sports. In the past three years, athletes like Riley Gaines and Paula Scanlan have become famous for being outspoken about their time with Thomas and how it affected them. Their bravery encouraged other women and supporters to stand up as well, and Trump started to pay attention. Opinion: With Mamdani, Democrats flirt with full-tilt socialism. But his plan is alarming. On Feb. 6, the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights began its investigation into Penn and why it allowed Thomas to compete on the women's team and share women's locker rooms. Scanlan, who was one of Thomas' teammates, testified before Congress that the university offered psychological services to 'reeducate' women athletes who were uncomfortable 'undressing in front of a male.' The department found in April that Penn had violated Title IX, and Penn entered a resolution agreement July 1 with the Trump administration. As stated in an Education Department news release, among other things, Penn must: This is great news for women's sports. But will it last? 'Thanks to the leadership of President Trump, UPenn has agreed both to apologize for its past Title IX violations and to ensure that women's sports are protected at the University for future generations of female athletes,' U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a statement. I hope McMahon is right and that future generations of women are protected by Trump's actions. Yet, Trump has relied on executive orders to make his stand for women and female athletes. Those orders could easily be overturned by the next Democratic president. Federal courts have blocked Biden's changes to Title IX's definition of sex, but Trump should actively work with Congress to ensure the protections for women are clear in law. Opinion: Supreme Court rightly allows states to hit brakes on gender meddling for kids So far, Senate Democrats have blocked legislation that would protect women permanently. That's a shame, not only for women but also for Democrats, who can't seem to understand that the vast majority of the country is opposed to biological males competing in women's sports. My fear is that universities like Penn are biding their time, doing what they must during Trump's term but planning to go right back to their old ways once he leaves. In the meantime, I'll celebrate this win for women – and for Team Common Sense. Ingrid Jacques is a columnist at USA TODAY. Contact her at ijacques@ or on X, formerly Twitter: @Ingrid_Jacques
Chicago Tribune
11 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Gov. JB Pritzker's running mate is a fellow Chicagoan, but says he will ‘represent all of Illinois'
During an appearance at a Bronzeville restaurant on Wednesday with his new running mate, Gov. JB Pritzker dismissed any suggestion that he was ignoring other areas of the state when he chose a fellow Chicagoan for his 2026 reelection bid. The governor a day earlier announced he had selected Christian Mitchell, a former state representative for parts of the South Side and a former deputy governor, to run as lieutenant governor, and their visit to Peach's restaurant on 47th Street was their first public joint appearance. 'When you're a state rep, you don't just represent the people in your district. You are also are voting on things that are good for people all across the state,' Pritzker said, standing next to Mitchell by a case of sweet drinks and cake in the crowded restaurant. 'We have passed bills that have been highly beneficial to job creation, expansion of health care, funding of education for people who live in — whether it's Anna, Carbondale or Quincy or Champaign.' Pritzker's partner in his first two terms, Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, is running to succeed retiring U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, which left the position open. Stratton and Mitchell are both Black and live on the South Side, bringing a different perspective to the ticket than the governor. The Chicago versus downstate dynamic in has been an source of friction in state politics for years, and Pritzker's choice figures to play into that issue going forward. For his part, Mitchell, 38, said he is ready to meet people from all over Illinois. 'In a tavern, at a bar, at a coffee shop, I'm willing to go anywhere, because my goal is to represent all of Illinois,' he said, after he and Pritzker spent about a half hour greeting a crowd of supporters and early lunch customers at Peach's, whose website features a photo of former President Barack Obama at the restaurant's counter. Mitchell's agenda as a legislator meshed closely with Pritzker's initiatives during the governor's two terms. Mitchell was among a group of legislators who called for a task force to study the possible legalization of recreational marijuana, and he introduced a proposal to eliminate cash bail — both ideas that eventually became reality after Pritzker became governor. During the 2018 election cycle, Mitchell also served as executive director of the Illinois Democratic Party, becoming the first African American to hold the position. He was a deputy governor in the Pritzker administration from 2019 to 2023 and a lead strategist on energy issues, including the landmark 2021 Climate and Equitable Jobs Act. Since 2023, he's overseen government relations and other offices at the University of Chicago, his alma mater. Pritzker has repeatedly said the next lieutenant governor will have to fill the legacy being left by Stratton. Stratton raised more than $1 million in her first quarter as a Senate candidate, according to her campaign, trailing fellow Democratic candidate and U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi of Schaumburg, whose campaign reported it raised more than $3.1 million. Krishnamoorthi, one of the top fundraisers in the House, ended the quarter with $21 million on hand, according to his campaign. Stratton has only had a few months to build up her operation, Pritzker noted when asked about the fundraising numbers Wednesday. The extent to which Pritzker, a billionaire who spent $350 million on his first two campaigns for governor, ends up supporting Stratton financially remains to be seen. 'You have to remember that Juliana has not had to raise money as lieutenant governor for me, and so she's going against people who have raised money for the last number of years,' Pritzker, who quickly endorsed Stratton this spring, said. 'She doesn't need to have as much as anyone else in the race. She is somebody that people all across the state know and admire.'
USA Today
11 hours ago
- USA Today
Lia Thomas, Title IX and $175M: Why Penn struck a deal with Trump
Because of the agreement, the Trump administration will lift a freeze on millions in federal funding for the school, Education Department spokeswoman Madison Biedermann said. "TRUMP ADMIN BRINGS UPENN TO ITS KNEES." That was the chyron across the screen on Fox News on July 1, as conservative host Laura Ingraham clapped for Education Secretary Linda McMahon and anti-transgender activist Riley Gaines. More: Reaction mixed at UPenn to transgender swimmer Lia Thomas' records being rescinded The trio was celebrating a controversial announcement made by the Education Department earlier in the day: The University of Pennsylvania, an Ivy League school in Philadelphia, agreed to work with the federal government to resolve an investigation into its campus. As part of the deal, the university sent apology letters to female swimmers who competed alongside Lia Thomas, a transgender former student who won a national title while competing for the school in 2022. Read more: Lia Thomas records erasure illustrates NCAA transgender policy change In 2022, trans rights advocates celebrated the moment as historic. Many conservatives have since criticized Thomas' win, arguing she had an unfair competitive advantage. Penn also said this week it would bar trans athletes from participating in women's sports. That change had no immediate effect, though, since Penn no longer has any athletes who are trans women. Following an order by President Donald Trump that such participation was illegal, no university in the National Collegiate Athletic Association has allowed student-athletes who aren't assigned female at birth to compete in women's sports. Read more: NCAA updates transgender athlete participation policy after Trump executive order In exchange for Penn's concessions, the Trump administration took a step it has rarely taken since the government began targeting elite colleges: It lifted a pause on a multimillion-dollar chunk of Penn's federal funding, which had been frozen for months. Some condemned the accord as another political assault on higher education. Others hailed it as a win for female athletes. Trump v. higher ed: University of Virginia president to step down after pressure from DOJ The education secretary seemed to view it as a blueprint for colleges that decide that working with the Trump administration is in their best interest. "We hope that that agreement is going to be a template for other universities who acknowledge that there is no room for men in women's sports," she said on Fox. March: $175 million frozen In March, the federal government suspended roughly $175 million in contracts to Penn, alleging the university had violated Title IX, the primary law governing sex discrimination at schools, when it allowed Thomas to compete. It wasn't long before professors started receiving stop-work orders on a wide array of projects. Research on preventing hospital-acquired infections, drug screening for deadly viruses and protecting against chemical warfare ground to a halt, the university said at the time. The effects were immediately harmful, said J. Larry Jameson, Penn's president. "Federal funding freezes and cancellations jeopardize lifesaving and life-improving research, the loss of which will be felt by society and individuals far beyond our campus for years to come," he said in a public statement on March 25. That funding will now start flowing again, according to Madison Biedermann, an Education Department spokeswoman. In a new statement on July 1, the university's president called the issue "complex" and said he was glad to have reached a resolution with the government. "Our commitment to ensuring a respectful and welcoming environment for all of our students is unwavering," he said. "At the same time, we must comply with federal requirements, including executive orders, and NCAA eligibility rules, so our teams and student-athletes may engage in competitive intercollegiate sports." 'Negotiation' or 'extortion'? Some higher education leaders criticized Penn's agreement as unnecessary capitulation. Todd Wolfson, president of the American Association of University Professors, called it "negotiation in the face of extortion." What Penn did sent a harmful message to trans students on campus, he said. "At a meta level, universities can't sell out trans people to satisfy the ideological demands of a thug," he said. Amanda Shanor, an associate professor at the Wharton School, said students have been divided over whether Penn's decision was the right one. The day after the announcement, she felt a sense of "sadness and rage" among faculty like herself. "Are they going to leave Penn alone after this?" she said. "I don't know." Zachary Schermele is an education reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach him by email at zschermele@ Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele and Bluesky at @
