Virginia Democrat Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell sent a threatening letter to all current university rectors and board members in the state, telling them to comply with his brand of politics or face being fired. The move came after a handful of Virginia Senate Democrats blocked Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s appointees to serve on the boards of public universities across the Commonwealth.
The letter, obtained by The Federalist, voiced Surovell’s intention to both usurp the governor’s power to appoint Board of Visitor (BOV) members and told the current rectors and board members across all Virginia’s public colleges and universities that their tenure could be at risk if he and the other Democrats do not like their priorities. Many of these boards have been working to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) ideology since Youngkin’s appointees eventually gained voting majorities around the middle of his term.
“In addition to the Governor’s ability to remove any member of a Board of Visitors pursuant to § 23.1-1300 for ‘malfeasance, misfeasance, incompetence, or gross neglect of duty,’ I want to be clear that the General Assembly takes seriously its oversight responsibilities regarding Virginia’s public universities,” Surovell wrote. “Should any Board of Visitors fail to exercise appropriate independent judgment or allow external influences to compromise their fiduciary duties, the General Assembly will not hesitate to examine the situation and take whatever legislative action may be necessary to ensure proper governance and accountability.”
“This means making decisions based on sound judgment, institutional needs, and the broader public interest rather than external political pressures or considerations unrelated to the university’s mission,” he added.
A board member at one of the 15 schools, who requested anonymity for fear of being fired, told The Federalist that Surovell’s message was a political threat.
Eight Senate Democrats on the Senate Privileges and Elections Committee voted to reject eight appointments to various boards across the Commonwealth, including former Virginia attorney general and former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Ken Cuccinelli for the University of Virginia, as well as nominees for Virginia Military Institute and George Mason University.
Democrat state Sen. Aaron Rouse screeched that all eight nominees were “MAGA extremists” and “Project 2025 supporters,” an apparent effort to make headlines in a crowded field of Democrat candidates for lieutenant governor. Virginia has a statewide election this year.
“Just days before a contentious Democrat primary, Virginians see these antics for what they are — an obvious political sideshow,” Youngkin Communications Director Rob Damschen told The Federalist. “This sloppy attempt to boost one of the candidates is not only completely out of order with general assembly procedures, it also costs Virginians thousands of dollars. They should be ashamed. Make no mistake, these highly qualified appointees will continue to serve in their posts as the Constitution of Virginia affords.”
In a letter to a UVA official, Surovell asserted that “Cuccinelli is no longer eligible to serve as a member of the UVA Board of Visitors and must immediately cease all activities in that capacity.”
But Youngkin’s office also told The Federalist that Cuccinelli, who has been serving on the board to fill a seat from another appointee of Youngkin’s whom the governor later fired, will continue to serve “because eight Democrat senators can’t remove someone from the board.” That would take a vote from the entire General Assembly.
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares agreed with Youngkin, telling all university rectors that “the recommendation of a Senate committee cannot be elevated to an act of the General Assembly.”
Youngkin still has until the end of his term in January 2026 to appoint new board members, but given the governor’s election this year in which many expect Democrat Abigail Spanberger to win, the Democrat-controlled Senate is likely to block everyone.
“It is important to understand that Virginia is currently and for the next six months will experience divided government,” Surovell warned (emphasis original).
That is part of the irony of Surovell’s letter, which spoke of lofty responsibilities like the “fiduciary duty” and “independent judgement” of the board members, while trying to force his own politics on them under threat of being fired. He said the General Assembly “will not confirm individuals who do not possess the judgment, character, or willingness to follow the principles articulated in this letter.” (Read: Only his opinions are valid).
He explained that while the boards operate “independently of executive control,” they are also “at all times … under the control of the General Assembly” (emphasis original).
“I am aware that the Governor has advised his appointees that they are to follow his directives,” Surovell wrote. “The Governor of Virginia, while an important partner in higher education policy, does not possess the authority to issue binding directives to Boards of Visitors regarding university operations, policies, or governance decisions. Executive Orders do not carry the force of law — only the Constitution of Virginia and duly enacted laws of the Commonwealth carry the force of law. Your Board operates independently of executive control in the exercise of your fiduciary duties and governance responsibilities to each of your universities” (emphasis original).
Right now, the federal government is investigating the University of Virginia (UVA) over its leadership attempting to maintain its DEI regime in secret after the BOV voted to get rid of it. As The Federalist reported, the leaders at the school who are tasked with getting rid of DEI are the exact people who put the ideology there in the first place. But if Youngkin told the UVA BOV to fire the president and other administrators, they would.
Now, however, those BOV members might themselves be fired by Surovell and his cronies in the General Assembly — maybe this year, or maybe as part of a massacre under a new Democrat regime next year.
Breccan F. Thies is a correspondent for The Federalist. He previously covered education and culture issues for the Washington Examiner and Breitbart News. He holds a degree from the University of Virginia and is a 2022 Claremont Institute Publius Fellow. You can follow him on X: @BreccanFThies.
