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Here’s a recap of the top stories on the morning of June 20, 2025:
UVA professors ask university board to halt DEI dismantling
Reported by VPM News’ Megan Pauly
A group of University of Virginia professors is asking the school’s Board of Visitors to suspend any further actions to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion programming until the legality of those programs is settled in federal or state court.
As VPM News has previously reported, there’s nothing currently in federal law that explicitly prohibits DEI offices and initiatives. Regardless, Virginia’s public universities have been swift to do away with these initiatives in the wake of anti-DEI executive orders from President Donald Trump.
The UVA chapter of the American Association of University Professors, an organization primarily dedicated to protecting academic freedom and shared governance in higher education, sent the request to the UVA board in a June 5 letter. Walt Heinecke, an associate professor of research statistics at UVA’s School of Education and Human Development, is on the group’s executive committee.
He told VPM News that the UVA board’s recent actions seeking to undo diversity, equity and inclusion work has been in response to “political, ideological directives” — not just at the federal level, but also from Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin and his administration, including Attorney General Jason Miyares and Education Secretary Aimee Guidera.
“There’s nothing passed by Congress about stopping DEI programming at universities. There’s nothing passed in the Virginia Legislature restricting DEI programming at universities,” Heinecke told VPM News.
Updated: McEachin, Irving win re-election as Richmond’s top prosecutor, city sheriff
Reported by VPM News’ Dean Mirshahi
Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney Colette McEachin and City Sheriff Antionette Irving won re-election Tuesday night, both defeating repeat primary challengers in similar fashion to 2021.
Unofficial results show McEachin with more than 71% of the vote as of 10:45 p.m. Tuesday, delivering her a comfortable win over local attorney Tom Barbour. McEachin defeated Barbour in a 2021 primary with just over 73% of the vote. (All election results are unofficial until certified by the state.)
“I’ve called to congratulate Ms. McEachin on a race well run,” Barbour wrote in a text to VPM News Tuesday night. “This is how we move our party forward as Democrats: by demanding action on issues that matter and building new bases of support.”
Irving won her third term as sheriff by again defeating William Burnett, a longtime Richmond law enforcement officer. She received just under 55% of the vote in unofficial counts, a similar margin to her 2021 victory. Burnett wrote in a Facebook post Wednesday morning that he won’t run for sheriff again and plans to leave the city.
McEachin and Irving will each run unopposed in the Nov. 4 general election, as the city’s elections office told VPM News no other candidates filed to run.
News you might have missed from around the commonwealth:
- Federal cuts could raise Va. food stamp costs $540 million (Richmond Times-Dispatch)*
*This outlet utilizes a paywall.