University of Virginia’s president has resigned amid a Department of Justice probe into the school’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, according to reports from the New York Times.
Ryan’s resignation will be effective “no later than August 15,” a person familiar with the matter told the Times.
University board members had alleged the school was not in compliance with President Trump’s January executive order barring DEI practices at institutions that receive federal funding.
Harmeet K. Dhillon, the head of the Justice Department’s civil rights division, wrote a letter to Ryan on April 28 saying the office had received complaints the university’s administration had failed to follow Trump’s directive.
The Times reported that the DOJ wrote another letter on June 17 saying, “Time is running short, and the department’s patience is wearing thin.”
The school and Justice Department did not immediately respond to The Hill’s request for comment on the matter.
Axios reported earlier on Friday that the Trump administration was trying to push out Ryan.
A university spokesperson told the outlet, “UVA is committed to complying with all federal laws and has been cooperating with the Department of Justice in the ongoing inquiries. The federal government’s support of the University is essential to continue the core mission of research, education and clinical care.”
Ryan previously served as the dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Education prior to joining the University of Virginia in August 2018.
Virginia’s Democratic senators blasted the Trump administration following news of his departure.
“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,” Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine said in a statement.
“Decisions about UVA’s leadership belong solely to its Board of Visitors, in keeping with Virginia’s well-established and respected system of higher education governance. This is a mistake that hurts Virginia’s future.”
The Trump administration has picked fights with various high-profile universities over diversity programs and their alleged failure to tackle anti-semitism on campus.
Columbia University caved to those demands in an attempt to maintain federal funding, while Harvard has so far stood its ground.
The Times reported this week that Harvard’s leaders are debating how to reach a deal without being seen as capitulating to Trump.
