Overview

• DOJ civil rights leaders Harmeet K. Dhillon and Gregory Brown have privately told UVA that President James E. Ryan must step down to resolve a federal investigation into its diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
• The department has signaled it will close the probe if Ryan resigns, marking the first time a sitting university president has faced such a demand to settle a federal inquiry.
• Legal experts, including former federal prosecutor Daniel Richman, say the request mirrors aggressive tactics usually reserved for corporate criminal cases and is unprecedented in higher education.
• Conservative alumni groups and America First Legal accuse Ryan of rebranding DEI initiatives to skirt a Trump executive order barring such programs at public universities.
• University of Virginia officials insist they will continue to comply with federal law and cooperate fully with the Justice Department’s investigation despite the mounting pressure on their leader.