The Cavalier Daily’s Aug. 31 article, “DOJ lawyer had a history of legal action against U.Va. before Ryan’s resignation," paints an image of former University President Jim Ryan and his administration as steady defenders of justice, while casting doubt on the credibility of the lawsuits brought by students like Matan Goldstein and Morgan Bettinger. That framing is not just misleading — it obscures the real failures of University leadership and the courage of the students who stood up to them.
Settlements Do Not Mean “Baseless”
The article notes that the Goldstein case ended with voluntary withdrawal and dismissal with prejudice, and the Bettinger case with a settlement and dismissal, as if those outcomes diminish their merit. Many readers assume that “dismissed with prejudice” is a judgment on the merits of a case. In reality, it is simply the legal label that permanently closes the file, and it is commonly used to finalize settlements or negotiated resolutions.
Even when no formal settlement terms are publicly detailed, a dismissal with prejudice still gives the University what it wants most — permanent closure and protection from discovery. Settlements are often the very way powerful institutions avoid discovery, public accountability, and uncomfortable truths. The decision to settle reflects the University’s interest in protecting itself — not the absence of merit in the students’ claims.
The University’s Leadership Failed Jewish Students
The Cavalier Daily portrays Ryan as proactive by pointing to his Task Force on Religious Diversity and Belonging, his video statements and even a meeting with Jewish parents and students. But let us be clear — the task force was never specific to antisemitism. It treated Jewish students’ struggles as just one part of a broad “religion” issue, even as many Jewish students were hiding their Stars of David and yarmulkes out of fear.
After Goldstein counter-protested a Students for Justice in Palestine rally, he was berated, shoved, and intimidated simply for carrying an Israeli flag and wearing a yarmulke. Parents and students had to press repeatedly for the meeting with Ryan. When it finally happened, he gave assurances that antisemitism would be addressed — but those promises led to no meaningful change. UVA leaders responded not with urgency, but with delay and empty gestures.
Contrast this with how Ryan reacted in the Morgan Bettinger case. In the summer of 2020, after the murder of George Floyd, Ryan quickly issued a statement affirming the University’s Division for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion's following quote, "We must continue to do the hard work that will help ensure that our future is different, more just, more accepting, and more inclusive.”
Just weeks later, when Morgan Bettinger was falsely accused of a racist remark during a Black Lives Matter protest, the University followed with another post on Twitter, sharing “The University strongly condemns any threat directed at other members of our community … we are aware of the allegations on social media about a student’s conduct.” Although she was not named, the timing left the clear impression that the University had validated the accusation before any investigation was complete.
When race was at issue, Ryan leapt to act — even if it meant sacrificing a wrongly accused student’s reputation and future to protect the University’s image. In the face of mounting antisemitism, however, he offered no such urgency — only silence and deflection, leaving many Jewish students still feeling compelled to hide their identity. That double standard should trouble every member of the University community.
Outside Funding Explains the Disparity
The University’s legal filings noted that Students for Justice in Palestine JP is a Contracted Independent Organization, “not agents, servants, or employees of the University.” Faculty for Justice in Palestine, though not itself a CIO, was also dismissed from the case. But this framing lets the administration off the hook. SJP is connected to a nationally organized student activist network that receives outside funding and support, while FJP operates as part of a national faculty advocacy network that collaborates with those same campaigns.
It is true that some University groups also have national affiliations — for example, Hillel, Relay for Life or Amnesty International. But those ties connect students to religious life, service, charity or human-rights awareness. By contrast, Students for Justice in Palestine is linked to national organizations such as American Muslims for Palestine and the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights, which provide coordinated messaging, protest toolkits, funding pipelines and legal backing. That is why SJP’s rallies and encampments looked less like organic campus activism and more like coordinated national operations.
Meanwhile, the vast majority of University students — Jewish and non-Jewish alike — are not operating within national political advocacy infrastructures. Where they do have national ties, those are to service, religious or community-building groups, not to outside organizations that professionalize political activism on campus. What students should be able to expect is a university leadership that protects them from harassment. On that front, Ryan’s University fell short.
Don’t Smear the Advocates
Finally, the attempt to discredit Gregory Brown by tying him to The Jefferson Council is a red herring. The Jefferson Council is a group of alumni committed to preserving the University’s traditions of honor and student safety, with objectives that include “promoting a culture of civil dialogue, intellectual diversity, and the free exchange of competing ideas.” Referring cases to a skilled civil rights lawyer like Brown was not some sinister plot. It was an act of responsibility. Without Brown’s advocacy, the systemic indifference of the University’s leadership toward discrimination might never have been exposed.
The Real Story
The real story is not that Ryan was unfairly maligned, or that The Jefferson Council somehow manipulated events. The real story is that University students like Goldstein and Bettinger suffered harassment and hostility while their University looked the other way. The University’s administration has been quick to congratulate itself for symbolic gestures but slow to provide the meaningful protection students deserve.
That is the record that must not be forgotten — no matter how The Cavalier Daily tries to spin it.
Barbara Wasserman is a parent of two University alumni. She can be reached at opinion@cavalierdaily.com.
The opinions expressed in this guest letter are not necessarily those of The Cavalier Daily. The letter represents the views of the author alone.
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