by Daniel Johnson
March 9, 2025
Although the resolution which dismantled the university’s diversity equity and inclusion office allows for the programs housed inside the office to be moved to other homes, it was not immediately clear what would be categorized as permissible in the resolution
The University of Virginia’s board voted March 7 to dissolve the university’s office of diversity, equity, and inclusion, becoming the latest university to acquiesce to the wishes of the Trump administration and the Republican Party to erase diversity from universities and other institutions across the country.
According to The Washington Post, the University of Virginia’s governing board, the Board of Visitors, is largely controlled by appointees of Virginia’s Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
Gov. Youngkin, who like Trump, has been trying to rid the State of Virginia of DEI, signaled his approval, declaring that the board voted in the interest of “common sense.”
Although the resolution, which dismantled the university’s diversity, equity, and inclusion office, allows for the programs housed inside the office to be moved, it was not immediately made clear what would be categorized as permissible in the resolution.
The resolution also contained a declaration from the board that it valued diversity and inclusion but instructed the university to comply with the Constitution’s Equal Protection Clause and the Civil Rights Act as well as charging the University of Virginia to “ensure there are no efforts to circumvent prohibitions on the use of race by relying on proxies.”
According to Brian Coy, a spokesperson for the University of Virginia, the university’s administration will review which programs are permissible for transfers.
“In accordance with the resolution, the administration will review the functions of the office, and all personnel and programs that are permissible under state and federal law will be transferred within the University,” Coy also added that the Office for Equal Opportunity and Title IX compliance along with other “important” functions were part of the diversity, equity and inclusion office.
In contrast to the University of Virginia’s signal that they will likely go along with the resolution, which in turn is itself a capitulation to the Trump Administration Department of Education’s stance on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, Georgetown University’s law school did the complete opposite of the University of Virginia.
According to Slate, Georgetown Law Dean William Treanor told the Interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Colombia, Ed Martin, in no uncertain terms that his attempt to blackmail the university into not promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion by punishing Georgetown graduates was unconstitutional.
RELATED CONTENT: Good News! Black History Month Doesn’t Violate Trump’s Anti-DEI Order, According To DOE
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings