The nation’s oldest state-supported military college may face losing public funding as newly empowered Virginia Democrats seek to determine whether it has done enough to root out racism and sexism at the school.
A resolution filed Tuesday in the House of Delegates would establish a task force with broad authority to investigate whether Virginia Military Institute should continue to receive state tax dollars.
If approved, the task force would probe how VMI has responded since a 2021 state-ordered report found widespread discrimination at the school. It’s the latest in a growing push in higher education from Virginia Democrats, who now hold larger majorities in both chambers of the General Assembly and control the governor’s mansion. They’ve quickly moved to reshape how universities operate and unwind efforts from conservatives and the Trump administration to end DEI initiatives.
“We need to determine whether this is an institution capable of change,” said resolution sponsor Del. Dan Helmer (D-Fairfax), who previously forced VMI to protect students who’ve reported sexual assaults on campus. Helmer, a U.S. Military Academy at West Point graduate, said Virginia taxpayer money should not be given to an institution “incapable of separating itself from a Lost Cause ideology that promotes White supremacy.”
Each year, VMI holds a ceremony honoring cadets who fought and died for the Confederacy, and long celebrated Stonewall Jackson, who was a professor at the school. {snip}
The specter of losing state funding could pose an existential question for the future of the institute, which in the 2024-2025 academic year received 43 percent of its budget from the state.
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On Saturday, hours after taking office, Spanberger took her own action at the school, appointing five people, including Northam, to VMI’s board.
Helmer’s resolution, co-sponsored by Dels. David A. Reid (D-Loudon) and Fernando J. “Marty” Martinez (D-Loudon), condemns in strong language VMI’s celebration of the Confederacy.
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