Justice Department demands University of Virginia president resign over diversity

On Apr. 30, 2025 the U.S. Department of Justice sent the University of 🏛️Virginia a letter giving it until May 2, 2025 to dismantle its diversity, equity, and inclusion programs or face further action.

On Jun. 27, 2025 Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Gregory Brown publicly demanded that UVA President JRJames Ryan resign, marking the first time the DOJ has pressed for removal of a university president over DEI policies.

The Wahoos4UVa coalition—composed of students, alumni, parents, faculty and staff—has collected about 4,000 signatures on a letter of confidence in President Ryan’s leadership.

Despite a Mar. 2025 Board of Visitors vote dissolving UVA’s Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Community Partnerships, the university rebranded DEI roles (e.g., changing titles but retaining functions) instead of fully eliminating them.

The DOJ opened a Title VII investigation into the University of 🌴California system’s 2030 Capacity Plan, which sets race- and sex-based hiring goals for new faculty appointments.

The DOJ launched a Title IX probe into 🌴California’s AB 1266 (the School Success and Opportunity Act of 2013), which allows transgender K–12 students to compete in sports consistent with their gender identity.

🌴California Attorney General Rob Bonta sued the DOJ over its demands on transgender athlete policies, arguing federal overreach into state law.

According to 🌴California’s Superintendent of Public Instruction TTTony Thurmond, active transgender student-athletes in the state’s 5.8 million–student K–12 system number in the single digits.

For the 2025 CIF state track and field championships, the 🌴California Interscholastic Federation added extra qualifying spots for cisgender athletes who would have qualified next, rather than excluding transgender participants.

In May 2025 the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, led by Assistant Attorney General HKHarmeet K. Dhillon (a UVA Law graduate), launched a Civil Rights Fraud Initiative using the False Claims Act to target DEI programs, exposing institutions to treble damages.