Democratic leaders in Virginia’s legislature defended the state’s colleges Thursday morning from what they called attacks by the Trump administration. The statements come ahead of a legal fight over Governor Glenn Youngkin’s appointments to Boards of Visitors at those same schools.
“What happened to Jim Ryan is a travesty. What’s happening to Greg Washington right now is a travesty,” House Speaker Don Scott said, referencing the resignation of UVA President Ryan and perceived threats against George Mason University President Washington. The comments come after the Department of Justice opened a series of investigations into a number of Virginia universities for alleged antisemitism and racial bias.
“People are using the pretext of antisemitism to attack,” Scott said.
In a statement sent after the press conference Virginia House Minority Leader Terry Kilgore said Democrats were “silent on the real issue.”
“This isn’t politics. It’s civil rights law asking: Were complaints processed, investigated, supported, or ignored? Fighting antisemitism isn’t a pretext. Oversight isn’t partisan. It’s accountability,” the Republican from Big Stone Gap said.
But Senate President Louise Lucas argued it was a veiled attempt to disrupt the state's top rated education program.
"Thomas Jefferson must be rolling in his grave," she said.
Former Virginia Governor L. Douglas Wilder also came out to support state schools. Once part of Youngkin's transition team, Wilder said the governor's assaults on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, and the termination of Virginia Military Institute's first Black superintendent, retired Maj. Gen. Cedric Wins, was a "coordinated effort to silence, punish and erase."
Speaker Scott blamed President Donald Trump for the investigations, but he said Governor Glenn Youngkin was participating in his own assault on state colleges by submitting politicized appointees to state schools.
“The governor recommends, but we have to confirm those appointments,” he added. “We have to start taking that responsibility a lot more serious in light of the fact that they’re doing things we’ve never seen before.
Democratic leadership will go before a state judge Friday to challenge recent appointments to several university boards by Youngkin. The eight appointees, including former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, were denied by a Senate committee earlier this summer.
Youngkin has argued in court filings the entire legislature must vote on appointees, but Democrats say no floor vote is required and there’s evidence of appointees being denied without such a vote.
The hearing is scheduled for Friday in Fairfax County Circuit Court.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
