University President Jim Ryan submitted his resignation to the Board of Visitors Friday, according to the New York Times. This change follows an ongoing investigation conducted by the Department of Justice into Ryan’s leadership and what they viewed as Ryan’s refusal to dismantle Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policies at the University.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon for the Civil Rights Division, in a written statement to The Cavalier Daily, said that the Department of Justice has a “zero-toelrance” policy towards illegal discrimination at publicly funded universities.
“When university leaders lack commitment to ending illegal discrimination in hiring, admissions, and student benefits – they expose the institutions they lead to legal and financial peril,” Dhillon said in the statement. “We welcome leadership changes in higher education that signal institutional commitment to our nation’s venerable federal civil rights laws.”
The University did not respond to a request for comment at the time of publication.
Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner shared a joint public statement following the New York Times article, linking Ryan’s resignation to what they see as President Donald Trump’s larger “culture war” against American universities.
“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.
The New York Times reported Thursday that Justice Department officials demanded Ryan’s resignation. These demands came in private negotiations with the Board of Visitors surrounding the University’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policies.
At the end of April, the Department of Justice sent a letter to the University, setting a deadline of May 2 for the University to provide a report proving it had fully dismantled all DEI initiatives and policies. This deadline was eventually extended until May 30. It is not clear whether this report was provided by the University.
The Department of Justice alleges that Ryan failed to comply with the directive to dismantle DEI programs at the University and has misrepresented efforts made by his administration to comply with federal law.
In a written statement to The Cavalier Daily before Ryan’s resignation, University spokesperson Bethanie Glover said that the University is working closely with the Justice Department.
“UVA is committed to complying with all federal laws and has been cooperating with the Department of Justice in the ongoing inquiries,” Glover said. “The federal government’s support of the University is essential to continue the core mission of research, education and clinical care.”
The Board dissolved the Office of DEI and Community Partnerships March 7, in accordance with a directive from President Donald Trump’s administration, and requested that Ryan and his administration submit a document 30 days after that which detailed the actions they had taken to address the Board’s directive.
The Cavalier Daily submitted a Freedom of Information Act request to the University for this document and was told that it was protected under “presidential communications.”
The Department of Justice said that if Ryan did not resign, the University would risk losing hundreds of millions in research funding, the New York Times said.
Ryan planned to step down at the end of next academic year, but said, in a letter to the Board, that current circumstances pushed him to do it now according to the New York Times. His letter also said that his resignation could be effective immediately but no later than August 15, 2025.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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