The resignation of the University of Virginia’s president amid a federal probe into the school’s diversity, equity, and inclusion policies is shaking the foundation of higher education nationwide.
At a Glance
- University of Virginia President James E. Ryan has resigned under pressure from the Trump administration.
- The resignation follows a Department of Justice investigation into the university’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies.
- The administration had threatened to cut off all federal funding to UVA if Ryan did not step down.
- The move is being hailed by conservatives as a major victory in the fight against “illegal discrimination” in higher education.
A President’s Forced Resignation
University of Virginia President James E. Ryan announced his resignation on Sunday, June 29, 2025, after being forced out by the Trump administration over the school’s diversity, equity, and inclusion policies. The stunning development came after the Department of Justice threatened to cut off billions of dollars in federal funding to the university unless Ryan stepped down.
The move marks a dramatic escalation in the administration’s campaign to dismantle DEI programs in higher education, which it argues constitute a form of illegal discrimination. This is the first time the threat of withholding all federal grant money has been used to force the resignation of a major university president.
An End to “Illegal Discrimination”
The administration has been unapologetic about its aggressive stance. “Any university president willingly breaking federal civil rights laws will be met with the full force of the federal government,” White House spokesman Harrison Fields said in a statement reported by The Washington Times. “It would behoove every school in America to prioritize the civil rights of every student and end DEI once and for all.”
Conservative legal advocate Harmeet Dhillon, whose firm has been instrumental in challenging DEI policies, praised the outcome. “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,” she said. “We welcome leadership changes in higher education that signal institutional commitment to our nation’s venerable federal civil rights laws.”
A University Under Pressure
The showdown in Charlottesville has been building for months. Prior to Ryan’s resignation, the university’s governing board had already voted to dismantle its central DEI office and halt the use of diversity statements in hiring and admissions in an attempt to appease the administration.
NEW: UVA board votes to dissolve its DEI office.
This is part of a long-planned strategy by @GlennYoungkin to dismantle DEI in higher ed in Virginia, two people familiar with the plans said.
More universities will likely follow in a matter of weeks.
— Dan Rosenzweig-Ziff (@DanRosZiff) March 8, 2025
The pressure campaign has been met with outrage from Democrats. In a joint statement, Virginia’s two Democratic senators, Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, called the federal intervention “outrageous” and a part of a “ridiculous ‘culture war'” targeting a respected university leader. As detailed by Inside Higher Ed, faculty and alumni have described the forced resignation as a “watershed moment” and a dangerous infringement on academic freedom.
