Power struggle at VMI: Governor, lawmakers clash over Black superintendent's future
A political firestorm has erupted over the future of the Virginia Military Institute's first Black superintendent, Ret. Maj. General Cedric Wins, with accusations flying that lawmakers attempted to strong-arm the school's governing board.
But an effort to investigate one legislator has run into resistance from Virginia Senate leaders, who argue that if lawmakers are scrutinized for meddling in higher education, then Gov. Glenn Youngkin should be, too.
Virginia Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, signaled before the end of this year's regular legislative session that it is unlikely his colleagues will launch an ethics investigation against Sen. Jennifer Carroll Foy, D-Prince William, over allegations that she pressured the VMI Board of Visitors regarding Wins' contract.
The request for the investigation came from U.S. Rep. Ben Cline, R-Botetourt, who accused Carroll Foy of attempting to sway the board's decision on whether to extend Wins' tenure.
Surovell dismissed the push for an inquiry, saying it would be hypocritical to investigate Carroll Foy while ignoring Youngkin's influence over university and college boards he has appointed. The VMI board has 11 Youngkin appointees out of 15 total members.
'If that's a problem, then I think we also ought to investigate the governor because he does this kind of stuff every day,' Surovell told The Mercury. 'The governor has been trying to influence our universities through his board picks and through the budget process for the last three years. If the insinuation is that the General Assembly does not have the right to express its views on the current or future leadership or anniversaries, that's preposterous.'
Cline's call for an ethics probe stems from a Feb. 18 letter he sent to the clerks of the House and Senate, alleging that Carroll Foy and other legislators attempted to 'pressure' the VMI's board into approving a long-term contract for Wins. The congressman claimed that some members hinted at legislative retaliation if the board did not comply.
Carroll Foy, a VMI graduate, forcefully denied the accusations, arguing that she never spoke with other members or issued any threats. Instead, she claims that John Adams, the board president, contacted her to discuss VMI's affairs, including concerns about resistance to having a Black superintendent.
Board members should be solely focused on fulfilling VMI's mission to 'educate and train citizen soldiers who will be the future leaders of battalions and boardrooms,' Carroll Foy said.
Cline's letter also cited an alleged conversation in which Carroll Foy reportedly told an unnamed board member that the General Assembly's leadership, which is majority Black, could jeopardize funding for VMI if Wins did not receive a four-year contract extension.
'I am just trying to help VMI. Cedric is African American. The leadership of the General Assembly is African American. Your board appointments and budget amendments are in peril. You can fix this by giving Cedric a four-year contract extension,' Cline, in his letter, quoted the board member as saying.
Carroll Foy pushed back against the allegations, arguing that her conversations with Adams had been 'mischaracterized.' She claimed that Adams, a partner with McGuireWoods Consulting, repeatedly told her the board 'no longer' wanted a Black superintendent after Wins first took the helm.
With Wins' employment publicly questioned, Youngkin's office has signaled its trust in the board's decision-making. Christian Martinez, a spokesman for the governor, said in a statement, 'The governor appointed experienced and strong members to the Board of Visitors, all deeply committed to VMI and its mission. He has full confidence the board will act in the best interests of the institute and the commonwealth.'
When Wins was tapped as VMI's first Black superintendent in the institution's history dating back to 1839, he stepped into a role shaded by controversy. His appointment followed the resignation of Ret. Gen. J.H. Binford Peay III, who stepped down amid claims of racism within the institution, as first reported by the Washington Post.
Just months later, a state-commissioned report confirmed that deep-seated racial and gender disparities persisted at VMI.
The investigation, conducted by the consulting firm Barnes & Thornburg at the request of then-Gov. Ralph Northam and state lawmakers and tasked to 'investigate the culture, policies, practices, and traditions' at VMI, found that the institute's culture created 'barriers to addressing and solving' race and gender problems.
'Following the developments of 2020 and the arrival of MG Cedric Wins, VMI has taken incremental steps towards a more diverse, inclusive VMI, and it has outlined plans to address the existing culture,' the report stated. 'However, many in the VMI community, including senior leaders, perceive no issues or reasons to change.'
Now, as Wins' contract hangs in the balance, some alumni are voicing concerns about both the institution's future and the political forces at play.
Shah Rahman, a VMI graduate, said he worries about how the governor's influence over the board — where a majority of members are Youngkin appointees that could shape Wins' fate, particularly given the broader political climate surrounding race and diversity.
Among those appointees is Thomas Gottwald, chairman and CEO of the chemical manufacturing company NewMarket Corporation. A major political donor, Gottwald has contributed over $500,000 to Youngkin's campaign and affiliated groups, including Spirit of VMI PAC, a political action committee composed of alumni, parents and students. The PAC, where Gottwald is the top donor, has been vocal in its opposition to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, urging supporters to 'reject the woke assault on VMI.'
In 2022, some critics also challenged the superintendent for his efforts to implement diversity, equity and inclusion reforms and requesting $6.1 million from the state to expand Title IX and diversity offices.
Rahman said he believes lingering resentment over Peay's departure is also fueling efforts to oust Wins.
'To [potentially] remove this gentleman before he has had a chance to fully see the institution's strategic plan that he was instrumental in putting together … just because they want their vengeance, it couldn't be worse for the future of the institute,' Rahman said to The Mercury.
As Cline circulated his letter calling for an ethics investigation into Carrol Foy, state lawmakers were in the midst of weighing Youngkin's nominees for boards across Virginia — including appointments to VMI's Board of Visitors — and reviewing funding requests for the military college.
In a move that escalated tensions, Senate Democrats blocked nine of Youngkin's appointees, including two VMI Board of Visitors nominees, Quintin Elliott and John Clifford Foster. They also excluded funding to VMI's proposed Center for Leadership and Ethics facility — a decision Youngkin viewed as an attempt to pressure the board into extending Wins' contract, according to the Richmond-Times Dispatch.
Democrats rejected that claim, arguing that the project was cut simply because the state could not afford it in this year's capital budget.
Despite the funding exclusion, lawmakers approved more than $1.2 million for VMI requests. The budget allocates one-time funds for the Unique Military Activities (UMA) to improve and enhance campus facilities, including purchasing new laundry equipment, expanding the female ward in the infirmary, and outfitting the VMI Regimental Band with new instruments.
On the removal of Youngkin's nominees, Carroll Foy pointed to remarks from Sen. Adam Ebbin, D-Alexandria, who said that Senate Democrats found the candidates 'inconsistent with the expectations, goals and values we had for the work of those boards.'
The concerns over Wins's job security at VMI have intensified in the wake of another high-profile shakeup involving a Black military leader. On Friday, President Donald Trump fired Air Force Gen. C.Q. Brown from his role as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a move that sent shockwaves through military and political circles.
Since taking office last month, Trump and his administration have aggressively dismantled diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, labeling them as 'discrimination' and vowing to restore 'merit-based' hiring.
In Virginia, Youngkin's administration has taken a similar stance. His office rebranded the state's Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion as the Office of Diversity, Opportunity and Inclusion. In 2023, the governor's chief diversity officer, Martin Brown, made headlines after remarking that 'DEI is dead' while speaking at a VMI event.
Democrats have pushed back against Youngkin's approach, arguing that his administration is failing to uphold state law on diversity policies. Surovell and House Speaker Don Scott, D-Portsmouth, have sought legal clarification from the attorney general and attempted to address the issue through budget proposals — so far, with little success.
'The superintendent has done everything that the previous Board of Visitors requested of him, and that the General Assembly expects, which is to put the institute first, and for his vision and values to align with the needs, to ensure that VMI is one of the top military colleges in the country,' Carroll Foy said, 'And for his effort, now you have a few, well-funded VMI alum who now seek to destroy him.
VMI officials have remained silent on the uncertainty surrounding Wins' future. A spokeswoman for the institute said both Wins and Adams were unavailable for comment regarding his employment status.
Board members are not expected to announce any decision until action is taken. The board's next scheduled meeting is May 1-3, but a special session could be convened sooner. The board president, the superintendent, a majority of the executive committee, or most board members can call a special meeting if necessary.
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