University of Virginia Enters Agreement with Justice Department to End Discrimination Practices

Thu Oct 23 2025 09:42:11 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

The University of Virginia has agreed to halt discriminatory admissions and hiring practices, following guidelines from the White House amid scrutiny from the Justice Department.

The University of Virginia has committed to observing White House guidelines against racial discrimination in admissions and employment, following a review by the Justice Department that highlighted concerns over its diversity initiatives. This agreement follows increasing pressure, leading to the resignation of the university's president and aligning with similar agreements made by other institutions.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The University of Virginia has agreed to abide by White House guidance forbidding discrimination in admissions and hiring, becoming the latest in a growing list of campuses striking deals with the Trump administration as it tries to pause months of scrutiny brought by the U.S. Justice Department.

The agreement was announced by the Justice Department, which began reviewing the admissions and financial aid processes at the Charlottesville campus in April. Officials accused its president of failing to end diversity, equity, and inclusion practices President Donald Trump has called unlawful.

The mounting pressure prompted James Ryan to announce his resignation as university president in June, saying the stakes were too high for others on campus if he opted to “fight the federal government in order to save my job.”

The university has committed to providing relevant data quarterly through 2028 and will require the president to personally certify compliance every three months.

Virginia's settlement follows agreements made with Columbia and Brown universities, which similarly aimed to conclude federal investigations and restore access to federal funding.

Since the scrutiny began, critics have argued that the university merely renamed its DEI initiatives without truly ending them. The Justice Department has expanded its review scope and initiated an investigation into alleged antisemitism on campus.

The University of Virginia joins other institutions in responding to federal guidance aimed at stopping discrimination in higher education, reflecting ongoing tensions in the broader debate about diversity practices in public universities.