Spanberger Asks Multiple Youngkin-Appointed U.Va. Board Members to Resign
Incoming Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger has asked at least five members of the University of Virginia’s Board of Visitors — including board chair Rachel Sheridan and major donor Paul Manning — to resign before she is sworn in Saturday, according to people briefed on the move. All 12 current board members were appointed by outgoing Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin, and it is unclear whether they will comply or force Spanberger to remove them. The shake‑up follows last summer’s resignation of U.Va. president Jim Ryan under pressure from the Trump Justice Department, which, according to a Ryan letter, told Manning that if Ryan stayed they would "bleed UVA white" by cutting funding and launching investigations because conservatives viewed him as too liberal. Some Virginia Democrats and faculty are now pressing Spanberger to oust Ryan’s hastily chosen successor, Scott C. Beardsley, arguing the Youngkin board capitulated to Trump’s pressure campaign, while Republican leaders accuse Spanberger of stoking further turmoil and targeting trustees they see as central to the university’s growth. The episode is the latest front in a broader national fight over partisan control of elite universities, as the Trump administration uses funding threats and probes to force leadership changes and critics warn of a direct threat to institutional independence and academic freedom.
📌 Key Facts
- Spanberger has privately asked at least five Youngkin‑appointed U.Va. board members to resign, including chair Rachel Sheridan and donor‑trustee Paul Manning.
- All 12 current University of Virginia Board of Visitors members were appointed by outgoing Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
- Former U.Va. president Jim Ryan resigned last summer after DOJ officials under Trump, via Manning, allegedly warned they would "bleed UVA white" if he remained in office.
- Democrats and some faculty want new president Scott C. Beardsley removed, while Virginia Republicans call Spanberger’s board move shocking and destabilizing.
📊 Relevant Data
In May 2025, the University of Virginia Board of Visitors, appointed by Governor Youngkin, voted to rescind portions of its 2020 resolution that supported setting numerical goals for increasing racial diversity among students and faculty.
Board of Visitors ends support for racial diversity goals — The Cavalier Daily
As of the most recent data (around 2024-2025), the University of Virginia's enrolled student population is approximately 51.5% White, 15.8% Asian, 7.37% Black, and 6.89% Hispanic, with Black and Hispanic students underrepresented relative to Virginia's overall population demographics (Virginia is about 19% Black and 10% Hispanic).
University of Virginia President Jim Ryan resigned in June 2025 under pressure from the Trump administration's Justice Department, which demanded his departure to resolve a civil rights investigation into the university's ongoing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts, claiming the school had not fully dismantled such programs.
University of Virginia President Resigns Under Pressure From Trump Administration — The New York Times
Virginia governors have the authority to appoint and remove members of public university governing boards, and it is a common practice for incoming governors to reshape these boards by appointing new members aligned with their administration, as seen in past transitions.
Va. governors make board appointments; legislators confirm them. How’s the process work? — Virginia Mercury
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