University of Virginia President James Ryan resigned Friday amid a Justice Department investigation into the school’s diversity, equity and inclusion policies.
“I am writing, with a very heavy heart, to let you know that I have submitted my resignation as President of the University of Virginia,” Ryan said in a letter to the school community.
“To make a long story short, I am inclined to fight for what I believe in, and I believe deeply in this University. But I cannot make a unilateral decision to fight the federal government in order to save my own job,” he said.
The DOJ maintains that Ryan has refused to comply with President Trump’s executive order directing public universities to dismantle their “discriminatory” DEI programs.
“Time is running short, and the department’s patience is wearing thin,” read a June 17 letter sent from the head of DOJ’s civil rights division, Harmeet Dhillon, to UVA’s board, according to the New York Times.
Dhillon had previously warned Ryan in an April 28 letter that her office received complaints UVA was not in compliance with Trump’s order banning DEI.
The outlet reported that some board members met with DOJ officials to see what could be done to end the probe into possible civil-rights violations by UVA and that they were told Ryan needed to step aside.
Ryan argued it would be “quixotic” and “appear selfish and self-centered” to take on the Trump administration at the risk of losing federal funding for the school and to lose its ability to admit foreign nationals on student visas.
“While there are very important principles at play here, I would at a very practical level be fighting to keep my job for one more year while knowingly and willingly sacrificing others in this community,” Ryan wrote in his note, adding that he previously intended to step down as president in 2026 anyway.
“If this were not so distinctly tied to me personally, I may have pursued a different path,” he said. “But I could not in good conscience cause real and direct harm to my colleagues and our students in order to preserve my own position.
“It has been an honor to be your President.”
In a separate letter to board members, Ryan signaled that his resignation would be effective “no later than August 15,” according to the Times.
The Trump administration has gone after several schools over their alleged failures to combat antisemitism on campus and scrap DEI programs, including Columbia University, which caved to Trump’s demands, and Harvard University, which is battling the administration in the courts.
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