CURE News and Clergy Blog News and Commentary for Christians
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that the University of Virginia (UVA) has agreed to stop discriminating against individuals based on race, sex, and national origin.
UVA was violating the U.S. Constitution, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and executive orders with its “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) policies. President Donald Trump issued orders that bar schools and education programs that receive federal tax dollars from using race and sex in admitting, hiring, and promoting.
These institutions were ordered to dismantle DEI programs. But UVA, like other schools, merely changed the title of DEI employees in an attempt to hide from the law.
Under pressure from the Trump administration to cease unlawful actions, UVA’s former president, James E. Ryan, resigned in July.
According to the agreement, UVA will now protect the civil rights of students, faculty, and staff. UVA’s interim president also will personally certify that UVA is complying with the law. In the meantime, DOJ will halt the investigation, and the school will be eligible for future grants and awards.
“We appreciate the progress that the university has made in combatting antisemitism and racial bias, and other American universities should be on alert that the Justice Department will ensure that our federal civil rights laws are enforced for every American, without exception,” said Harmett K. Dhillon, assistant attorney general of the Civil Rights Division.
