Surovell said making appointments without reporting them to the General Assembly shows that Youngkin wants to be an “absolute ruler” of Virginia.
Deeds said that because he had not received sufficient answers to his previous questions, he spoke to outside sources for knowledge of the events leading up to Ryan’s resignation.
In response to a student question, Spanberger said the Board’s appointment process should be revisited.
Martingayle said he believes the University is “highly likely” to lose in court if a member of the public who was denied entry Friday brought litigation.
Rejected Thursday were James Donovan, John Harris, H. Eugene Lockhart and Calvert Sanders, appointed by Youngkin at the end of June.
The ruling is a major development in the ongoing battle between Senate Democrats and the state Republicans and officials at three universities.
The committee includes most sitting members of the Board of Visitors, other faculty representatives and alumni and just one current undergraduate student, who is also a sitting member of the Board.
Kibbe’s departure marks the end of an ongoing battle between U.Va. Health employees and their senior leadership.
The top Democrat in the Senate warned in particular about choosing former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, or any other candidate without a higher education background.
Surovell said any attempt by the Board to install a new, permanent president would not be viewed kindly by the Senate.
