Another university leader has fallen under the weight of the Trump administration’s crusade against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, as University of Virginia President James E. Ryan has resigned.
Breitbart reported that intense pressure from the Department of Justice and internal board decisions at UVA to dismantle DEI programs culminated in Ryan’s exit from his position at UVA.
Back in June 2023, President Donald Trump made a bold pledge to eliminate DEI programs across federal government spheres and enforce the Supreme Court’s ruling against affirmative action in college admissions.
This set the tone for a broader push to reshape higher education, and UVA found itself squarely in the crosshairs.
Fast forward to May 2025, when the DOJ sent a stern demand letter to UVA’s leadership, insisting on a full purge of DEI elements from campus operations.
Breitbart News reported this as a clear signal that the administration meant business, leaving little wiggle room for university officials.
Meanwhile, UVA’s governing board had already voted to shut down all DEI offices and terminate related programs. Ryan was tasked with reporting back within 30 days on the progress of these closures, but apparently, he missed the deadline. That fumble didn’t sit well with federal watchdogs.
The DOJ wasn’t shy about its displeasure, claiming Ryan failed to dismantle the programs and even misrepresented the steps taken. According to reports from the New York Times via Fox News, Trump officials privately pushed for Ryan’s ouster to settle a probe into UVA’s DEI practices. It’s a classic case of “comply or goodbye.”
Ryan, who previously served as dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Education and was known for championing DEI efforts per Fox News, found himself between a rock and a hard place.
In his letter to the university community, he noted that 2026 was meant to be his final year anyway, but the timeline clearly got accelerated.
Here’s Ryan in his own words: “But I cannot make a unilateral decision to fight the federal government in order to save my own job.”
Well, isn’t that a noble-sounding retreat? While it’s understandable to avoid dragging the university into a federal showdown, one wonders if Ryan truly believed in DEI enough to stand firm, or if this was just the path of least resistance.
Virginians deserve leaders who don’t fold under pressure if the cause is worth defending—or at least offer a clearer explanation.
On the other side of the aisle, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin didn’t mince words, declaring, “DEI is done at the University of Virginia.”
He added a patriotic flourish about equality and opportunity being central to the state’s future. It’s a victory lap for conservatives who see DEI as a divisive distraction from merit-based systems.
Youngkin’s statement reflects a growing sentiment among right-leaning folks that DEI often prioritizes ideology over fairness.
While empathy for historically disadvantaged groups is important, many argue these programs can veer into reverse discrimination or enforced groupthink. The governor’s stance is a nod to those who want education refocused on universal principles.
UVA’s student body, however, has shown a more progressive bent in recent years. Breitbart News highlighted instances from 2020 where some students opposed white peers using multicultural centers, and opinion pieces in the student newspaper urged confronting “racist” family members at holiday dinners. A few years later, the editorial board even called for scrubbing references to Thomas Jefferson—UVA’s founder—from campus culture.
These snapshots of campus activism paint a picture of a university steeped in left-leaning ideals, which makes the DEI rollback all the more jarring. It’s no surprise the Trump administration zeroed in on UVA as a battleground for its education reform agenda.