FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRESS STATEMENT
CONTACT: apr@fenton.com
June 27, 2025 –– Dr. Andrea Abrams, executive director of the Defending American Values Coalition, a member of the American Pride Rises Network, issued the following statement in response to the resignation of University of Virginia President Jim Ryan following pressure from a Trump-era Justice Department investigation:
“This is not about accountability—it’s about intimidation. Once again, the Trump administration is using the weight of government to bully leaders and institutions into submission, undermining trust in the very systems meant to serve the public.
The forced resignation of President Ryan is part of a dangerous and coordinated campaign to weaponize the federal government against universities, corporations, and civic institutions that stand for diversity, equity and inclusion.
From stripping our nation’s higher education institutions of federal funding to forcing private companies to abandon the values of DEI to curry favor, the Trump administration has shown time and again that it will stop at nothing to consolidate power and silence dissent.
Let’s be clear: these attacks are not about one university president. They are about abandoning the fundamental American values that ensure equal opportunity for all communities in our nation.
We cannot allow this culture of fear to win. The Trump administration is trying to rewrite the rules of American life—limiting who belongs, who succeeds, and who leads. The resignation of President Ryan under pressure is just the latest casualty in a broader war on truth, education and progress.
As an educator, I know the power of learning to transform lives. We need institutions that are free to pursue truth, serve students of all backgrounds, and lead with integrity—not ones forced to conform to a narrow ideological agenda.
American Pride Rises stands with the University of Virginia community and all those resisting these authoritarian tactics. We will not be intimidated. We will fight for a future where knowledge, inclusion, and equity are not liabilities, but foundations of our democracy.”
About American Pride Rises:
American Pride Rises (APR) is an initiative committed to protecting pathways to the American Dream by fighting for a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive America for all.