"President Ryan's Forced Resignation Demands Immediate Action"

Dear Wahoos4UVA Members,

On Friday, President Jim Ryan was forced to resign – an act of political

coercion that demands public scrutiny and a clarion call for transparency and

accountability from those responsible.

According to The New York Times, the U.S. Department of Justice pressured

the University of Virginia to force President Ryan to resign or face the loss of

all federal funding. What has unfolded is nothing short of an unconstitutional

assault on public higher education. And while much remains hidden from public

view, three facts are clear:

1. The Board of Visitors failed to defend the University's mission, values,

and institutional integrity.

2. Virginia’s Governor Youngkin and Attorney General Miyares remained

silent in the face of unprecedented federal overreach, thereby enabling it.

3. The Department of Justice violated due process with its investigation,

denying the University and President Ryan the ability to defend themselves.

President Ryan’s resignation was coerced by a federal agency eager to

infringe upon states’ rights, encouraged by a complicit Governor and Attorney

General, and enabled by a Board of Visitors unwilling and unable to execute its

duties.

UVA does not belong to politicians in Richmond or Washington, D.C. It belongs

to the people of Virginia. And the people must now rise to its defense.

Starting today, Wahoos4UVA will be sending you weekly action alerts. Each

one will give you a specific, concrete way to make your voice heard. We will

also be advocating for bold structural reforms to ensure this never happens

again.

UVA’s independence was stolen in the shadows. Together with your help, we

will fight to win it back in the light.

Here's what you can do today:

Click here to send a letter to the Board of Visitors

Sincerely,

Ann Brown and Chris Ford

Co-Chairs, Wahoos4UVA

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P.S. - While Wahoos4UVA is neither sponsoring nor endorsing this event, we

encourage all interested members to attend via Zoom or in person.

___________________________

Text of email to the BOV:

Dear Members of the Board of Visitors,

I write to you as a deeply concerned member of Wahoos4UVA, a coalition of 14,000 UVA alumni, students, parents, faculty, staff, and friends spanning a wide range of perspectives, united by a deep love for the University and committed to protecting UVA from political interference.

Like many supporters of this institution, I have watched with alarm at the events that have unfolded surrounding President Jim Ryan’s forced resignation. The lack of transparency from the Board of Visitors has only deepened public concern and sown distrust in the governance of our University.

To restore confidence and uphold the values UVA stands for, the Board of Visitors should provide honest public answers to the following questions:

1. What exactly did the DOJ demand of the University? What did the Board believe would happen if President Ryan did not resign? And what did they believe would happen if he did?
2. Which member(s) of the Board served as the Board’s point person(s) in negotiations with the U.S. Department of Justice, and under whose authority were they acting? Who made the decision to exclude the other members of the Board?
3. Did the Board obtain anything in writing from the DOJ confirming the terms of any agreement before communicating to President Ryan that he needed to step down? If so, what was promised by DOJ in writing?
4. Why wasn’t the full Board of Visitors convened before any agreement was reached with the DOJ?
5. At any time prior to this, did Board members have communication (written or verbal) with elected officials (such as the Governor or Attorney General) about removing or pressuring President Ryan to resign?
6. U.S. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said on CNN that UVA failed to provide the DOJ with information that other universities submitted. President Ryan provided documentation to the Board on April 7. Why was that documentation not forwarded to the DOJ?
7. Dhillon further claimed UVA told the DOJ it could not certify compliance with federal law. If this is accurate, who made that statement on behalf of UVA, and why?

Based on what has come to light so far, I have serious concerns about the ability of the Board of Visitors to safeguard the interests of the University of Virginia.

Please share answers to my questions publicly. I look forward to hearing what steps the Board will take to rebuild trust, restore transparency, and uphold its duty to serve the University with integrity.

Sincerely,

[Your full name here]

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