1. United States
2. Va.
3. Letter

As an alumna of the University of Virginia, I am disgusted by the actions of the Trump administration and the Bondi Department of Justice against UVA and its president, Jim Ryan. The Department of Justice has no authority to dictate the leadership of the state of Virginia’s public universities. Do not allow UVA to become a national political pawn. This kind of pressure undermines the very foundation of public education in Virginia. UVA must remain free to govern itself without political threats from Washington, D.C. No matter your political beliefs, this is bigger than any one university or its president. It’s about ensuring that no government—state or federal—is allowed to dictate the leadership of our universities based on ideology or political loyalty. This kind of political pressure is unacceptable in a democracy. No federal agency should use funding as a weapon to punish a university president for political reasons. That’s not governance—that’s extortion. Impounding federal funds for political reasons is illegal and unconstitutional. Further, universities must be free to govern themselves without fear of political retaliation. The future of higher education in America depends on it. We must not allow the federal government to arrogate powers that belong to the Commonwealth. UVA’s founder Thomas Jefferson would have rejected this federal intrusion in the strongest possible terms. This is about the core principle that no matter who’s in power, universities must be protected from political interference. I urge you to speak out publicly and take action to protect UVA.