United States: The President of the University of Virginia prefers to resign instead of “fighting the government” by Donald Trump

The pressure was too strong. The president of the University of Virginia, in the east of the United States, announced his resignation on Friday 27 June, when he is opened of an investigation by the federal state on campus practices to promote diversity.

“I am willing to fight for my beliefs, and I believe deep in this university,” James Ryan, who has directed the establishment since 2018, said in a statement. “But I can’t unilaterally decide to fight the federal government to save my job,” He added his decision to explain.

“If that doesn’t concern me so personally, I might have chosen a different way”estimated Mr. Ryan, emphasizes that there is “Very important principles at stake” In this case. But trying to stay with your post seems to him “Selfish and self -centered to hundreds of employees who would lose their jobs, researchers who would lose their financing and hundreds of students who could lose their financial help or see their refused visa”he added.

Mr. Ryan had already decided that the coming school year would be his last, he said, but until then would stay in his position “Sawy and voluntarily sacrificing this community”.

“No trust”

The Ministry of Justice, charged with the investigation against its establishment, specifically demanded the departure, according to The New York Times. During an intervention on CNN on Friday, the deputy general public prosecutor who is responsible for the civil rights of the Ministry of Justice denied such a request, while placing his grievances against Mr. Ryan.

“I have no faith in his will and his ability to preside the dismantling of the dei,” The program in favor of diversity and parity (dei, for “diversity, fairness, inclusion”), said Hardet Dhillon.

In a press release, the two democratic senators of the state of Virginia, Mark Warner and Tim Kaine have denounced “An error that Virginia harms in the future”. “It is outrageous that the officials of the Ministry of Justice of Trump demanded that the university (…) President Ryan intended”They estimate.

Tense climate between the Trump government and universities

This event marks a new level in the fight that Donald Trump, since his return to power, has against American higher education, that he accuses the distribution of a “awake” ideology, a term used by the conservatives in a pejorative way to denounce conservatives what they consider to be an excess of activism.

The Republican signed a law in January that contained the abolition of the programs at national level. His government has opened surveys on dozens of branches, with the argument that initiatives for diversity are discriminatory against white and Asian-American students.

The answers were diverse. Some branches have closed their dei offices, abolished stock markets for diversity and no longer require a explanation of diversity during the recruitment process. Others have renamed their work or maintained their diversity policy.

Until now, the Trump government was mainly against prestigious universities such as Harvard, where it tries to prohibit the recognition of foreign students, and Columbia, to whom it threatens to withdraw his accreditation, which could deprive of any federal financing.