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3w ago

Justice Department Secures UVA President’s Resignation to Halt DEI Investigation

It marks the resolution of a DOJ civil rights inquiry into UVA’s diversity programs through the president’s exit by mid-August.

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The University of Virginia President Jim Ryan looks on during a pregame show in 2023.
In this November 2022 photo, University of Virginia President James Ryan attends a press conference in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Overview

  • The DOJ used its civil rights division to negotiate James Ryan’s resignation as a condition for closing its inquiry into UVA’s diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
  • Harmeet Dhillon’s letters in April and June threatened legal action and the withdrawal of hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding for failing to comply with President Trump’s executive order to eliminate DEI programs.
  • Ryan formally resigned on June 27 and will step down no later than August 15, a decision endorsed by the university’s Board of Visitors.
  • An open letter signed by over 100 UVA professors and staff criticized the forced resignation as an infringement on academic freedom and institutional autonomy.
  • Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine denounced the DOJ’s demand as an unprecedented overreach into higher education governance.