University of Virginia President James E. Ryan has agreed to resign following pressure from the Trump administration, which demanded his departure as part of a settlement to end a Justice Department investigation into the university’s diversity, equity and inclusion practices, according to The New York Times.
Three people briefed on the matter said Ryan informed UVA’s board on Thursday that he would step down. In a letter to the board’s chair, according to the Times, Ryan said he had originally planned to leave at the end of the next academic year but decided “with deep sadness” to resign earlier “given the circumstances and today’s conversations,” The board accepted his resignation, though it remains unclear when it will take effect.
“For the leader of one of the nation’s most prominent public universities to take such an extraordinary step demonstrates President Trump’s success in harnessing the investigative powers of the federal government to accomplish his administration’s policy goals,” stated the Times report.
The Justice Department had recently warned UVA officials that its investigation had identified “widespread” use of race in admissions and other programs. A June 17 letter signed by Civil Rights Division head Harmeet K. Dhillon and Deputy Assistant Attorney General Gregory W. Brown stated: “Time is running short, and the department’s patience is wearing thin.”
Both officials are UVA alumni, and Brown had previously sued the university in a private capacity.
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In recent days, board members appointed by Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin engaged with senior Justice Department officials and were told that resolving the matter would require Ryan’s resignation.
The two Democratic Senators from Virginia, Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, released a statement critd the decision. “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,” the statement read.
“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. This is a mistake that hurts Virginia’s future.”
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