"Former University of Virginia president Jim Ryan has broken his silence concerning his abrupt resignation, accusing the Board of Visitors of dishonesty and complicity in his ouster, which came amid federal government scrutiny over the university’s diversity, equity and inclusion practices.

In a 12-page letter to the UVA Faculty Senate on Friday, Ryan wrote that he was 'stunned and angry' over the board’s lack of honesty as it faced pressure from the federal government to force him out due to an alleged failure to dismantle DEI initiatives. Ryan also wrote that recent letters by UVA rector Rachel Sheridan and Governor Glenn Youngkin do not 'present an accurate accounting of my resignation,' which prompted him to release his own statement.

Ryan accused Youngkin of playing a significant part in attracting scrutiny from the Department of Justice, first by handing down a resolution to the board drafted by his office that 'was quite sweeping and filled with inflammatory rhetoric criticizing DEI.' Ryan wrote that the board passed a modified, 'fairly mild' version of the resolution, which required UVA to dissolve its DEI office and “move all permissible programs to another institutional home," reports Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Photo: Former University of Virginia president Jim Ryan. Mike Kropf-Pool/Getty Images