University of Virginia strikes deal with Trump administration to end Justice Department investigation

By Darren Lyn

HOUSTON, United States (AA) - The University of Virginia (UVA) struck a deal Wednesday with the Trump administration to end an investigation by the Department of Justice (DOJ) into the school's hiring and admissions practices, according to media reports.

Under the settlement, UVA has agreed to abide by White House guidelines that forbid discrimination in admissions and hiring.

The school has also agreed to provide relevant data to the DOJ on a quarterly basis through 2028.

The university, which is located in Charlottesville, is the latest school in a growing list of campuses to strike a deal with the Trump administration to end DOJ investigations.

The agreement was announced by the DOJ, which began reviewing the admissions and financial aid processes at UVA in April.

DOJ officials accused the school's president, James Ryan, of failing to end diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices which President Donald Trump has deemed unlawful.

Ryan subsequently stepped down in June, saying the stakes were too high for others on campus if he opted to "fight the federal government in order to save my job."

Paul Mahoney, who was appointed acting president of UVA in August, will have to personally certify that the institution is in compliance each quarter.

UVA was one of seven universities to reject the "Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education," a proposal from the Trump administration.

The other six schools to rebuff the president's proposal were the University of Arizona, Brown University, Dartmouth College, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Southern California.