At a press conference at the Fairfax County Courthouse, the NAACP Virginia State Conference spoke out against unjust attacks and interference targeting Virginia’s public colleges and universities. Specifically, the Virginia NAACP and its partners are outraged by the unwarranted scrutiny of President Gregory Washington and the civil rights investigation focusing on George Mason University’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, hiring practices, and alleged discrimination in admissions and scholarships.
Rev. Cozy Bailey, President, NAACP Virginia State Conference, stated,
“The Virginia NAACP is laser-focused on the travesty of the so-called DOJ investigation of GMU and Dr. Greg Washington and labels it the witch hunt that it truly is. We will continue to call out the Governor and federal entities in this latest attempt to undermine our institutions of higher learning here in the Commonwealth and across the nation. We stand in solidarity with President Washington as he stands up firmly in defense of his record of academic excellence. We also stand in unity with the presidents who have been removed in this assault as well as future targeted universities who celebrate the diversity of their staff and their student populations.”
Ty’Leik Chambers, President of the NAACP Virginia State Conference Youth & College Division, stated,
“We are here today not just as students and advocates, but as defenders of one of the most vital pillars of our democracy: public education. Throughout our Commonwealth, and especially at George Mason University, we are witnessing a disturbing pattern of political interference that threatens the autonomy, integrity, and mission of our public colleges and universities. Let me be explicitly clear: this is not about politics. This is about people. This is about our students and our institutions’ faculty.”
Dr. James J. Fedderman, Education Chair, NAACP Virginia State Conference, stated,
“The current unrest being fueled by the Trump Administration and echoed by several of Governor Youngkin’s appointees to college and university boards threatens to undermine the hard-won progress we’ve made as a Commonwealth and as a nation. This politically driven agenda seeks to divide rather than unite, placing partisanship above the educational mission of our institutions.”
Bethany Letiecq, professor at George Mason University and President of the GMU chapter of the American Association of University Professors, addressing the upcoming Board of Visitors Meeting, stated,
“We know the gameplay. Their tactics. And we are here today to call this out. We are demanding that the Board of Visitors uphold its fiduciary responsibilities to the Commonwealth.”
Jeffrey Allen, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. 3rd District Social Action Chair, stated,
“As men of Omega, a fraternity committed to the cardinal principles of Manhood, Scholarship, Perseverance, and Uplift, we view any attack on educational equity as a deliberate offense to our mission and legacy. We reaffirm our fraternity’s longstanding commitment to social justice, and we stand ready to work in concert with the NAACP and our allies to safeguard the future of public education in the Commonwealth of Virginia.”
The Virginia NAACP will not stand idly by and allow injustices to occur. We will continue to protect academic integrity and ensure equitable access to education for all. We call upon allies, educators, and lawmakers to join us in rejecting intimidation and reaffirming our collective commitment to equitable access for all
