In the middle of President Donald Trump‘s raid against DEI practices, he turned his sights to probe into George Mason University (GMU). But despite threats to get rid of the college’s Black president looming over the Virginia school’s community, it seems President Gregory Washington just got the last laugh.
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Trump opened up a forth probe into GMU back in June, according to Higher Ed Dive. According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), the university’s admissions and DEI practices were suspicious… and who better to take the blame than the school’s president, Washington, who just so happens to be Black.
In a formal letter, the DOJ’s Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said the agency was interested in seeing if GMU violated Title VI– the federal law prohibiting discrimination based on race. Dhillon gave GMU until Aug. 1 to provide “a series of certifications, responses, and productions of information, data, and materials” to the DOJ.
With that, President Washington’s job was on the line and so was the reputation of one of the well established ad highly ranked universities in the country. But on the same day as the DOJ deadline, GMU hit back with a shocking yet assertive move.
The university’s governing board unanimously voted to increase Washington’s salary by 1.5 percent on Aug. 1, virtually securing his future as GMU’s president, the Virginia Mercury reported. “Regardless of how one views the events unfolding at George Mason University, today’s display of unity by the Mason community is inspiring,” Washington said in response to the announcement.
“It is a reminder of how centrally important our university is to Northern Virginia’s families and economy,” he continued. “For now, the community can refocus on what really matters most: in just three weeks we will welcome the incoming class of 2025, which is once again the largest, most diverse and one of the most qualified freshman classes in the history of George Mason. Fellow Patriots, you are simply the best. Let’s get back to work.”
Washington himself has been in his role at GMU since 2020, according to his online bio. Since becoming the university’s first Black president, Washington championed the university’s international campus and established countless economic and social partnerships between the school and brands like Amazon. He’s well-loved in the GMU community, so when word got out that Washington’s job was on the line, community members showed up in droves to protest.
“Support of president! Support of president,” GMU parents, staff, students and other chanted in protest to Trump’s probe and the potential firing of Washington, NBC Washington reported.
Although Washington’s job is saved, he isn’t the first university president to be targeted by the Trump administration, the New York Times reported. Earlier this year, the president of the University of Virginia stepped down in response to growing criticism from Trump and his allies.
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