(Sam Douglas/ Fourth Estate)

With Mason in headlines, BOV passes DEI resolution, keeps faith in Pres. Washington

BY SAM DOUGLAS, CO-NEWS EDITOR

Mason’s Board of Visitors met on August 1 for the first time in three months. Since its last meeting on May 1, Mason has received national attention, with the university under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice and Department of Education for alleged discriminatory hiring practices. The Department of Education is also conducting a separate investigation accusing Mason of “[failing] to respond effectively to a pervasively hostile environment for Jewish students and faculty.” 

In July, the Board retained Torridon Law, a law firm headed by former U.S. Attorney General William Barr, to represent Mason in legal matters. President Gregory Washington hired former Maryland Attorney General Douglas Gansler as his personal legal representative.

Washington, Mason’s first black president, has been at the center of the media and federal scrutiny. He has received support from both faculty and students. The Faculty Senate and Student Government released statements in late July supporting Washington. After the Faculty Senate’s statement, the Justice Department announced it would also investigate the body.

Going into the meeting, it was unclear whether the Board of Visitors— comprised entirely of appointees of Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin—would continue to back Washington. 

Washington, who has supported diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs criticized by some board members, has denied that Mason uses discriminatory hiring practices.

In the meeting agenda, the Board was slated to discuss a number of things in closed session, including consulting with legal counsel and a “personnel matter to discuss the performance goals of the President.”

Concern circulated ahead of the meeting, with the GMU chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) and members of the media drawing comparisons to the departures of university leaders at the University of Virginia and the Virginia Military Institute earlier in 2025.

“Over the past month, George Mason University has been subject to a series of federal investigations and political attacks that are very similar to the campaign to oust University of Virginia President James Ryan. This time, the target of these attacks seems to be GMU President Gregory Washington,” GMU-AAUP Vice President Tim Gibson said in an email sent to the media on July 29. 

Sam Douglas/Fourth Estate

During the Aug. 1 meeting, many members of the audience held signs denouncing the federal scrutiny into Mason. As part of its “Day of Action,” GMU-AAUP organized a press conference outside Merten Hall while the board met in closed session, with speakers such as state Sen. Saddam Salim and Fairfax Mayor Catherine Read.

After the three-hour closed session, the Board of Visitors voted to approve Washington’s 2025-2026 performance goals and award him a performance bonus.

The board also voted on the renamed “Resolution Of George Mason University Regarding Merit-Based Excellence, Student Opportunity And Freedom From Discrimination.” The resolution previously called the “Resolution Of George Mason University Regarding The Presidential Executive Order On Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion,”calls for the Office of Access, Compliance, and Community to eliminate all programs not explicitly required by state or federal law, dissolves the Access to Research and Inclusive Excellence program and prohibits the use of diversity statements in hiring processes. 

The resolution had originally been scheduled for a vote at the May 1 meeting, but was postponed until Aug. 1 after discussion. Several board members were absent from the August meeting, including four whose appointments are under injunction while a court determines whether they are eligible to serve on the board. The resolution passed unanimously.