Latest news with #diversity
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
US university leader resigns amid pressure over diversity programs
The head of a prestigious US public university resigned Friday amid pressure over his alleged failure to curb diversity programs, the latest salvo in the Trump administration's war on academia. The Department of Justice had privately pressured the University of Virginia to fire its president to help resolve a probe of its diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, according to the New York Times, which broke the story late Thursday. It had reportedly threatened to withhold hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding. "I cannot make a unilateral decision to fight the federal government in order to save my own job," UVA President Jim Ryan said in a statement Friday. Ryan wrote that risking federal funding cuts by staying in his role "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." Ryan took the helm of the elite University of Virginia in 2018, a year after white supremacists marched with flaming torches through its campus amid heated debate over the removal of some Confederate monuments in southern states. Ryan's efforts to make the school more diverse and increase the number of first-generation university students reportedly rankled some conservative alumni. "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," Virginia's two Democratic senators, Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, said in statement. Trump is attacking US universities and other sources of what he sees as left-leaning power in the country as he moves to exert unprecedented presidential control over life in America. A top area of conflict has been "diversity, equity and inclusion," or DEI, programs that sought to correct historic demographic inequity in admissions and funding, but have been criticized as unfair to otherwise well-qualified candidates. Trump notably piled pressure on Harvard University, seeking to ban it from having foreign students, slashing more than $3 billion in grants and contracts, and challenging its tax-free status. Some observers said Friday's developments were an alarming sign for public universities, which are particularly reliant on state and federal funding. "Ryan's resignation portends a future in which all public university presidents must conform to the political views of their state's leadership or be kicked out of office," wrote Inside Higher Ed, an online publication about education. ksb/sla
CNN
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
Key lines from UVA president's resignation letter
Key lines from UVA president's resignation letter University of Virginia president James Ryan announced his resignation amid pressure from the US Department of Justice to dismantle the university's diversity, equity and inclusion programs. CNN's Betsy Klein reports. 01:09 - Source: CNN Automated CNN Shorts 11 videos Key lines from UVA president's resignation letter University of Virginia president James Ryan announced his resignation amid pressure from the US Department of Justice to dismantle the university's diversity, equity and inclusion programs. CNN's Betsy Klein reports. 01:09 - Source: CNN What biohacker Bryan Johnson says is the most powerful drug in existence CNN's Boris Sanchez spoke with controversial biohacker Bryan Johnson about the impact of the medical experiments he's done and what he thinks is the most underrated aspect of health. 01:08 - Source: CNN See Jonathan Anderson's highly anticipated Dior debut Jonathan Anderson, founder of JW Anderson, made his debut as creative director of Dior. His collection, Dior menswear Spring/Summer 2026, was showcased during Paris Fashion Week. 00:45 - Source: CNN Minnesota lawmaker and husband lie in state at State Capitol Mourners and lawmakers gather to pay tribute to former Minnesota State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman, who were killed in a targeted attack. The couple is joined by the family's golden retriever, Gilbert, who also died after being shot during the attacks. 00:41 - Source: CNN See where the Bezos-Sanchez wedding is taking place CNN's Melissa Bell gives a tour of where Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's wedding ceremony is in Venice, Italy. 00:56 - Source: CNN Sean 'Diddy' Combs' son escorted out of courtroom A judge removed Sean Diddy Combs' son, Justin Combs, from the courtroom and apparently asked him to change his clothing after Combs' son arrived wearing a shirt that says 'Free Sean Combs' to the defense team's final closing arguments. The controversy comes nearly two weeks after Diddy's son Christian 'King' Combs was also removed and spoken to by the judge for wearing a similar slogan in sight of the jury. 01:28 - Source: CNN Will Sean 'Diddy' Combs be convicted? Sean 'Diddy' Combs is facing five charges in a blockbuster sex trafficking trial, but will he be found guilty? CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister asks former prosecutor Elie Honig to predict the outcome. 03:05 - Source: CNN The key testimony and evidence in the Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial, explained CNN's Laura Coates goes over the five counts hip-hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs is charged with, the key evidence and testimony presented to jurors, and how the defense disputes the allegations. 03:13 - Source: CNN Celebrities dazzle in their wedding attire as they leave for the Bezos-Sanchez ceremony Corseting, feathers and plenty of diamonds adorn guests as they step into water taxis set to take them to the Friday evening festivities for Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez. 00:56 - Source: CNN Trump says he'd consider bombing Iran again In a White House briefing with reporters President Donald Trump was asked if he would consider bombing Iran's nuclear sites again if future intelligence reports offered a concerning conclusion on Iranian enrichment of uranium. 00:51 - Source: CNN USNS Harvey Milk new name revealed US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the USNS Harvey Milk is being renamed to the USNS Oscar V. Peterson. During Pride Month in June, he ordered the stripping of the name Harvey Milk who was a gay rights activist and Navy veteran. 00:43 - Source: CNN
Fox News
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Authors blast 'harmful' SCOTUS ruling allowing parents to opt kids out of reading their LGBTQ+ books
Authors and illustrators of the controversial LGBTQ+ children's books at the center of Friday's Supreme Court ruling blasted the decision as "discriminatory and harmful" in a joint statement. The justices decided 6-3 in Mahmoud v. Taylor that parents can exclude their children from a Maryland public school system's lessons that contain themes about homosexuality and transgenderism if they feel the material conflicts with their religious faith. The parents who brought the suit spanned a range of religious backgrounds, from Muslims to Christians of different denominations. The Maryland parents who sued said in their petition to the high court that the Montgomery County Public Schools board introduced books to their elementary school students that promoted "gender transitions, Pride parades, and same-sex playground romance." The parents said the school board initially allowed parents to opt their children out of lessons involving those books but then prevented opt-outs. They also said the presence of the books created "indirect pressure to forgo a religious practice," which created enough of a burden to violate their religious freedom rights. Authors and illustrators of the books mentioned in the court case responded in a scathing letter. "As the authors and illustrators of the books named in Mahmoud v. Taylor, we believe the Supreme Court's ruling today threatens students' access to diverse books and undermines teachers' efforts to create safe, inclusive classrooms. To treat children's books about LGBTQ+ characters differently than similar books about non-LGBTQ+ characters is discriminatory and harmful. This decision will inevitably lead to an increasingly hostile climate for LGBTQ+ students and families, and create a less welcoming environment for all students," they said. After arguing that such books not only make children feel more represented, but also teach children "how to share their classrooms and communities with people different from themselves," the group of authors and illustrators argued they are part of a far larger shift. "We know there are families and educators across the country who are committed to creating inclusive classrooms that meet the needs of the diverse groups of students in their school districts. We are with them in spirit as they work to ensure that all students are seen and supported," the group said. "We will continue to support LGBTQ+ families and children everywhere and advocate for the right of all students to read freely. We strongly disagree with the Court's decision." Education Department Secretary Linda McMahon celebrated the ruling as a win for "parental rights" and a loss for "bureaucrats." "Parents have the right to know what their children are learning at school and to exercise their First Amendment freedom of religion to opt out of divisive and ideological lessons that go against their families' values and beliefs," McMahon said. Eric Baxter, vice president and senior counsel at Becket, the legal group that represented the parents' case, said, "This is a historic victory for parental rights in Maryland and across America. Kids shouldn't be forced into conversations about drag queens, pride parades, or gender transitions without their parents' permission. Today, the Court restored common sense and made clear that parents—not government—have the final say in how their children are raised."
CTV News
5 hours ago
- General
- CTV News
Sudbury celebrates its first Multiculturalism Day
Greater Sudbury marked its inaugural Canadian Multiculturalism Day on Friday to celebrate the city's growing cultural diversity. Greater Sudbury marked its inaugural Canadian Multiculturalism Day on Friday. The day has been officially recognized by communities across the country since 2002 to celebrate Canada's rich diversity. 'Sudbury was built on the back of immigrants that have come here and worked hard,' said Sudbury Mayor Paul Lefebvre. Sudbury multicultural Greater Sudbury marked its inaugural Canadian Multiculturalism Day on Friday. The day has been officially recognized by communities across the country since 2002 to celebrate Canada's rich diversity. (Amanda Hicks/CTV News) 'To our community and families, there's diversity that we get to thrive in and to celebrate.' Nickel Belt MPP France Gelinas said it's important for the community to come together to celebrate diversity. 'We live in really tough times for a lot of people right now around the world and in our own country, in our own province,' Gelinas said. 'It becomes even more important to have strong relationships, to learn from one another, to understand one another.' Dozens turned out to the ceremony at Tom Davies Square, organized by the Sudbury Multicultural and Folk Arts Association. Influx of newcomers Association president Bella Ravi said she had never heard of the day until recently. 'I was on Google a few years back, and I saw that there is such a day as Multicultural Day,' Ravi said. 'Then COVID hit and we couldn't do anything.' She said there has been an influx of newcomers to the city in the last decade. 'The last decade, it has grown, mainly because of the students initially,' Ravi said. 'But now I think our reputation precedes us now. People know it's a good place to raise a family. It's a safe place to be.' Still, she said with sour sentiments towards immigration south of the border, some of that has trickled to Sudbury. 'We have an influx, and this community was not used to that. And I get both sides of it, because when you see your community changing so fast and you're not exposed to it like you are in Toronto,' Ravi said. 'So, we are out there, trying to explain what immigration means to the economy, for our culture, for the community.' Multiculturalism will be at the forefront of Canada Day celebrations July 1 at the Sudbury Arena. CTV's Ian Campbell and Rick Wyman will be in attendance.
CTV News
5 hours ago
- General
- CTV News
Sudbury celebrates Multicultural Day
Sudbury celebrates Multicultural Day Greater Sudbury marked its inaugural Canadian Multiculturalism Day on Friday to celebrate the city's growing cultural diversity.
