University President Quits as DOJ Pressure Mounts Amid DEI Investigation
James Ryan, the President of the University of Virginia, announced his resignation effective by August 15 due to pressure from the Trump administration regarding the university’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices. In his resignation letter, he expressed a heavy heart but emphasized that he could not fight the federal government to retain his position without considering the broader implications for employees, researchers, and students who might face job loss or funding issues. Ryan had already planned to step down in 2026 for unrelated reasons. The Department of Justice had previously urged him to comply with directives to dismantle certain DEI practices, linking his resignation to the ongoing investigation into the university’s compliance with federal mandates. His departure marks a importent change in the administration’s approach toward public universities in its campaign against DEI initiatives.
University of Virginia President James Ryan announced his resignation, amid pressure from the Trump administration to end the school’s diversity, equity, and inclusion practices.
In a letter addressed to the head of the university board on Thursday, Ryan said his resignation would be effective no later than Aug. 15, The New York Times reported.
In another letter, addressed to the university community on Friday, Ryan d his reasons for stepping down.
“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.
“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.
“To do so would not only be quixotic but appear selfish and self-centered to the hundreds of employees who would lose their jobs, the researchers who would lose their funding, and the hundreds of students who could lose financial aid or have their visas withheld,” he wrote.
— Jim Ryan (@presjimryan) June 27, 2025
Ryan added that he had already planned on stepping down in 2026 for “entirely separate” reasons.
In an April 28 letter addressed to Ryan, the Department of Justice urged Ryan to take action.
The DOJ had received complaints that the school was not complying with President Donald Trump’s executive orders dismantling discriminatory DEI practices.
“Time is running short, and the department’s patience is wearing thin,” read another DOJ letter dated June 17, signed by Harmeet K. Dhillon, the head of the Justice Department’s civil rights division.
The DOJ later announced it was launching an investigation of the school.
According to another New York Times report published Thursday, the DOJ had also demanded that Ryan step down to help resolve the university’s DEI issue.
BREAKING: University of Virginia president resigns after Trump admin pressured him over pro-DEI policies.
It’s notably a public university, which is different as the campaign’s almost exclusively targeted Ivy League schools up until now, according to AP.
James Ryan had led the… pic.twitter.com/6DdYBwoWru
— Resist the Mainstream (@ResisttheMS) June 27, 2025
Ryan had served as president of the school since 2018, according to the UVA website.
Previously, the Trump administration had almost exclusively targeted Ivy League schools like Harvard and Columbia.
UVA, a public university, marks a shift in the administration’s war on DEI, the Associated Press reported.
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