A Rebuke for George Mason
The school’s president keeps his job, for now, but the Board of Visitors votes to eliminate DEI programs.
The Wall Street Journal
By The Editorial Board
August 4, 2025
Trustees and boards are supposed to set policy at universities, but too often they settle for football tickets and a child’s admission. That’s one reason it’s good to see the Board of Visitors take its obligations seriously at George Mason University.
We reported last week on the debate at the Northern Virginia school over racial and gender preferences. At a meeting on Friday, part open and part closed to the public, the board voted to eliminate a variety of diversity, equity and inclusion programs that had become fronts for discrimination in admissions and hiring at the school.
This is a rebuke to Gregory Washington, the George Mason president, a vociferous advocate of “diversity” preferences who had long opposed the anti-DEI move. But it was necessary if the school is going to avoid tough sanctions from the federal Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. The DOJ is investigating the school’s policies for possible violations.
Press reports on the meeting have portrayed it as a victory for the president and Mason faculty because Mr. Washington kept his job. The Faculty Senate had rallied in support of the president against the Board of Visitors, whose members are appointed by the Virginia Governor. The current Governor is Republican Glenn Youngkin.
But the board gave Mr. Washington the lowest salary increase allowed under the law and denied a bonus payment. His future at the school may depend on what the Civil Rights Division’s report says about the school’s policies and Mr. Washington’s role in promoting and enforcing them. The report is expected soon.
The ground is shifting in higher education as the Trump Administration looks to enforce the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in the 2023 Students for Fair Admissions case. This has come as a shock to many administrators and faculty who have long believed they have a right to run these institutions based on their progressive political views.
George Mason is a public university supported by taxpayers. The Board of Visitors represents the public and has a duty to enforce the law against discrimination by race.
