A Virginia judge ruled Tuesday that eight public university board appointees of Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin cannot serve any longer due to the rejection of their nomination in the state Senate, The Washington Post reported.
The appointees in question sat on boards for the University of Virginia, George Mason University, and Virginia Military Institute, and Democratic lawmakers alleged they were far-right ideologues who would limit academic freedom at Virginia institutions.
Last month, state senate Democrats "had argued that their rejection of the appointees in the Senate Privileges and Elections Committee should warrant the immediate removal of the people in question from the boards," reported Dan Rosenzweig-Ziff and Laura Vozzella. Youngkin, along with GOP Attorney General Jason Miyares, argued instead "that the full General Assembly must consider any appointees, and until that happens next year, the nominees should remain in their positions."
In response, Democrats sued Youngkin's administration, arguing that it was violating its constitutional authority by disregarding the Senate committee's rejection. “This lawsuit is not about politics — it’s about preserving the constitutional balance of power that has served Virginia well for centuries,” said Senate President Pro Tempore L. Louise Lucas, who has repeatedly clashed with Youngkin since his election.
“This isn’t just about who sits on a board,” said Lucas. “It’s about whether the future of Virginia’s colleges and universities will be guided by educators and experts or hijacked by Trump, Youngkin and their MAGA allies.”
Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge Jonathan D. Frieden ruled in favor of the Democratic lawmakers, writing that “The refusal of the General Assembly to confirm the Disputed Appointees on June 9, 2025 marked the end of the Disputed Appointees’ ability to continue serving on their respective Boards.”
Youngkin and Miyares have signaled they plan to appeal this decision to the Virginia Supreme Court, insisting that the appointees may serve until they are rejected by a full vote of the entire General Assembly.
All of this comes as Youngkin, who helped revitalize the Virginia GOP after his victory in 2021, struggles to maintain control of his own party as he prepares to leave office next year, picking a bruising fight with his party's own nominee for lieutenant governor, openly gay conservative former broadcaster John Reid, over alleged salacious internet posts.