Ryan’s Downfall Began with Bipartisan Board Vote
President Jim Ryan resigned on June 27, 2025, after months of failing to demonstrate compliance with a unanimous vote from UVA’s bipartisan Board of Visitors. Here’s a timeline of the key events:
March 7:
The UVA Board of Visitors voted unanimously (17-0) to dissolve the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and community partnerships.
The Board directed UVA to ensure compliance with the Equal Protection Clause, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, and other federal civil rights laws.
President Ryan was given 30 days to report on the University’s compliance.
April 18:
The Cavalier Daily reported that 41 days after the Board vote, UVA still had not shared any updates on compliance, despite repeated requests.
UVA spokesperson Brian Coy stated there was “no information to share at this time.”
A FOIA request by the Jefferson Council for related documents was denied, citing “presidential correspondence.”
One change did occur: the DEI office website was redirected to UVA’s main page.
April 28:
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) sent a letter to President Ryan referencing the Board’s resolution and the University’s lack of updates.
The DOJ demanded that by May 2, UVA must certify that the Board’s directives had been fully satisfied across every division, school, and program, including the Law School, School of Medicine, and Nursing School.
The DOJ required a detailed response identifying all eliminated DEI positions, programs, and preferences, as well as the current status of anyone previously in DEI roles.
The DOJ letter also revealed earlier letters sent on April 11 and April 18 demanding clarification on UVA’s admissions practices in light of Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard—letters that had not been publicly disclosed until then.
May 2:
UVA requested an extension from the DOJ, citing insufficient time to compile the required documentation.
The DOJ granted an extension to May 30.
May 30:
The extended deadline passed with no public evidence that UVA had responded to the DOJ’s demands.
No reports were released, no statements were issued, and a review of the UVA website and Board of Visitors records showed nothing indicating compliance.
Notably, minutes from the Board’s June 4-6 quarterly meeting, just days after the deadline, contained no mention of the DOJ investigation or related compliance efforts.
June 2:
Governor Youngkin issues a letter to UVA administration warning that "the failure to fully implement and completely dissolve DEI programs and positions puts the university at great risk" and reminds them that "full compliance with the law is required."
Governor Youngkin further asks UVA to report to the Secretary of Education on any progress made. There is no public evidence that such a report was completed by UVA either.
June 27:
Hours after President Ryan resigned, a DOJ investigator appeared on CNN with Jake Tapper, confirming that UVA had never responded substantively to multiple DOJ letters.
The investigator stated:
“I sent a sheaf of letters of increasing urgency simply asking them to confirm they were compliant with Students for Fair Admissions. They didn’t. They haven’t, and to date, they still haven’t—almost three months after I began writing letters to the university, the law school, the medical school, the nursing school, and others… Unlike many other institutions, UVA just didn’t respond at all, only requesting extensions.”
In Summary:
From March 7 to June 27—a span of 112 days—President Ryan failed to produce any evidence that UVA was complying with federal anti-discrimination laws, including Title VI, VII, IX, or Students for Fair Admissions. The public received no transparency or assurances about whether illegal or discriminatory programs were being dismantled.
Imagine if a corporate Board of Directors gave directives to a CEO and received nothing but stonewalling for nearly four months. In the private sector, Ryan would likely have been fired for cause long before June 27.