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Fox News
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Fox News
University of Virginia president resigns amid pressure from Trump admin over DEI initiatives
The University of Virginia president stepped down on Friday after facing intense pressure from the Trump administration over the institution's diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. James E. Ryan, who had led the school since 2018, said he had already decided that next year would be his last and decided not to "fight the federal government in order to save my own job" until then. To make a long story short, I am inclined to fight for what I believe in, and I believe deeply in this University," Ryan wrote to the UVA community on Friday. "But I cannot make a unilateral decision to fight the federal government in order to save my own job. To do so would not only be quixotic but appear selfish and self-centered to the hundreds of employees who would lose their jobs, the researchers who would lose their funding, and the hundreds of students who could lose financial aid or have their visas withheld." "This is especially true because I had decided that next year would be my last, for reasons entirely separate from this episode—including the fact that we concluded our capital campaign and have implemented nearly all of the major initiatives in our strategic plan," he continued. Robert D. Hardie, leader of the University of Virginia's governing board, said in a statement he accepted Ryan's resignation with "profound sadness," adding that he had been an "extraordinary president," led the institution to "unprecedented heights" and that the university "has forever been changed for the better as a result of Jim's exceptional leadership." This comes after the Trump administration had privately demanded that the university remove Ryan to help resolve a Justice Department probe into the institution's DEI practices, according to The New York Times. The Justice Department argued that Ryan had failed to dismantle the school's DEI programs and misrepresented the steps taken to eliminate them, amid the administration's efforts to root out DEI in higher education, the newspaper reported. The federal government's moves targeting higher education include pulling billions of dollars from elite universities such as Harvard, which has been the subject of investigations by various agencies over issues such as DEI initiatives, admissions practices and alleged antisemitism on campus. But this was the first time the administration had pressured a university to remove its president. "That sham virtue signaling of DEI has no place in our country, and the Trump administration is working tirelessly to erase this divisive, backward, and unjust practice from our society," White House spokesman Harrison Fields told Fox News Digital. "Any university president willingly breaking federal civil rights laws will be met with the full force of the federal government, and it would behoove every school in America to prioritize the civil rights of every student and end DEI once and for all," he continued. Ryan had focused on increasing diversity at the university, bringing in more first-generation students and encouraging community service. These efforts had ruffled the feathers of conservative alumni and Republican board members who argued he was "too woke" and wanted to impose his beliefs on students. Before his time as the university's president, Ryan served as the dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where he received recognition for his commitment to DEI programs. In a joint statement, Virginia's Democratic senators said it was "outrageous" that the administration would demand Ryan's resignation over "'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," Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine said. "This is a mistake that hurts Virginia's future." Conservative groups have lambasted Ryan for what they regard as insufficient steps toward compliance with the administration's plans to eliminate DEI. America First Legal, a nonprofit launched by Trump advisor Stephen Miller, accused the University of Virginia last month of rebranding DEI programs to skirt Trump's executive orders aimed at ending diversity initiatives. "Rebranding discrimination does not make it legal, and changing a label doesn't change the substance," Megan Redshaw, an attorney at America First Legal, said in a statement at the time. "UVA's use of sanitized language and recycled job titles is a deliberate attempt to sidestep the law." The group took direct aim at Ryan, noting that he joined hundreds of other college presidents in signing a public statement condemning the administration's "overreach and political interference." On Friday, the group vowed to continue to use every available tool to root out DEI. "This week's developments make clear: public universities that accept federal funds do not have a license to violate the Constitution," Redshaw said in a statement to The Associated Press. "They do not get to impose ideological loyalty tests, enforce race and sex-based preferences, or defy lawful executive authority."
Wall Street Journal
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Wall Street Journal
University of Virginia President Resigns Amid Tension With Trump Over DEI
University of Virginia President James E. Ryan has resigned amid tension with the Trump administration, he said in an email to the school community. Ryan had come under scrutiny over what the Justice Department says was his refusal to dismantle the school's diversity, equity and inclusion programs, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Fox News
a day ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Trump's DOJ pressuring University of Virginia to axe its president over DEI programs: report
The Trump administration has privately urged the University of Virginia to remove its president to help resolve a Justice Department probe into the institution's diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, according to a report. The Justice Department has argued that the university's president, James E. Ryan, has not dismantled its diversity, equity and inclusion programs and misrepresented the steps taken to eliminate them, amid the administration's efforts to root out DEI in higher education, The New York Times reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Fox News Digital has reached out to the department, the university and Ryan for comment. The federal government's moves targeting higher education include pulling billions of dollars from elite universities such as Harvard, which has been the subject of investigations by at least six different federal agencies over issues such as DEI initiatives, admissions practices and alleged antisemitism on campus. But this would be the first time the administration has pressured a university to remove its president. The call for Ryan's removal was made over the past month in several instances to university officials by Gregory Brown, the deputy assistant attorney general for civil rights, according to The New York Times. Brown, a University of Virginia graduate, has been instrumental in the investigation. He told a university representative last week that Ryan needed to go so that an investigation could begin, the outlet reported. The Justice Department's top civil rights lawyer, Harmeet K. Dhillon, who earned her law degree from the University of Virginia at the same time as Ryan, has also been involved in negotiations with the university, according to The Times. Ryan, who was hired as the university's president in 2018, has focused on increasing diversity at the school, bringing in more first-generation students and encouraging community service, The Times noted. These efforts have ruffled the feathers of conservative alumni and Republican board members who argue he is "too woke" and wants to impose his beliefs on students. Before his time as the university's president, Ryan served as the dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where he received recognition for his commitment to DEI programs. Conservative groups have lambasted Ryan for what they regard as insufficient steps toward compliance with the administration. America First Legal, a nonprofit launched by Trump advisor Stephen Miller, accused the University of Virginia last month of running rebranded DEI programs to skirt Trump's orders. "Rebranding discrimination does not make it legal, and changing a label doesn't change the substance," Megan Redshaw, an attorney at America First Legal, said in a statement at the time. "UVA's use of sanitized language and recycled job titles is a deliberate attempt to sidestep the law." Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment on demands that the university oust Ryan.
