UPDATE: On Friday afternoon, University of Virginia President (UVA) Jim Ryan resigned following pressure from the U.S. Department of Justice, according to New York Times reporting.
The Trump administration is intensifying its scrutiny of U.S. higher education institutions, launching new investigations and pressuring university leaders over DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) initiatives that officials argue may violate federal law.
On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Justice announced an investigation into the University of California system’s faculty hiring practices, signaling a broader federal push against race- and sex-conscious policies in academia. The probe, led by the department’s Civil Rights Division, will examine whether the university’s diversity goals for faculty hiring violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits employment discrimination.
“Institutional directives that use race- and sex-based hiring practices expose employers to legal risk under federal law,” Harmeet Dhillon, head of the Civil Rights Division, said in a statement.
A spokesperson for the University of California responded that the institution “is committed to fair and lawful processes in all of our programs and activities, consistent with federal and state anti-discrimination laws,” adding that it seeks to “foster a campus environment where everyone is welcomed and supported.”
The investigation centers on the UC system’s strategic hiring plan, which identifies increasing representation of women and underrepresented minorities among faculty as an explicit goal.
The move adds to a growing list of actions by the Trump administration that critics say amount to a political campaign against higher education institutions viewed as ideologically liberal.
Among them is a Justice Department effort to oust University of Virginia President James Ryan over the school’s DEI initiatives. The DOJ reportedly demanded Ryan’s resignation as a condition for resolving a federal investigation into the university’s diversity practices.
“UVA is committed to complying with all federal laws and has been cooperating with the Department of Justice in the ongoing inquiries,” university spokesperson Brian Coy told Axios. “The federal government’s support of the university is essential to continue the core mission of research, education, and clinical care.”
According to The New York Times, UVA was ordered to abandon two DEI goals outlined in a 2020 task force plan. Federal officials demanded proof by May that the university had dismantled its diversity framework.
Meanwhile, the administration has also threatened funding for prominent institutions including Harvard, Columbia, and Princeton, casting a wide net in its bid to dismantle what it characterizes as politically motivated academic policies.
These latest developments underscore a broader clash between the federal government and universities over the role of diversity in American higher education—one that may continue to escalate in the future.
