Virginia judge bars Youngkin's university board appointments rejected by Senate Democrats

Source: Associated Press

Virginia judge bars Youngkin’s university board appointments rejected by Senate Democrats

By OLIVIA DIAZ
Updated 12:37 PM EDT, July 29, 2025

FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) — A judge ordered that eight public university board members tapped by Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin be removed from their posts in a victory for Virginia Senate Democrats who rejected the appointees in a June committee vote.

Fairfax Circuit Court Judge Jonathan D. Frieden severed the newly appointed members from their governing-board seats at the University of Virginia, George Mason University and the Virginia Military Institute. His order came at the request of nine Virginia Senate Democrats who filed a lawsuit last month requesting immediate action against the heads of university boards, also known as rectors or presidents.

The nine senators argued that despite the legislative committee rejecting the membership of the eight board members, the board chairs had continued acknowledging them as members, and Frieden agreed.

“Here, the public interest is served by protecting the power of the elected legislature to confirm or reject gubernatorial appointees,” Frieden wrote in an opinion letter about his order.

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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/judge-orders-striking-virginia-college-board-appointments-3e5ce8b32bfff851cab0c8c7ca5b97cf