George Mason University President Gregory Washington (left) and Rector Charles Stimson at a Board of Visitors meeting on April 17, 2025. (Photo by Nathaniel Cline/Virginia Mercury)
In a Sept. 9 letter obtained by The Mercury, George Mason University Rector Charles Stimson informed Democratic leaders in the Virginia Senate that he will not step down from his post on the school’s governing board despite their request for him to do so.
Democrats asked Stimson to resign after the conservative think tank Heritage Foundation, where he serves as a senior legal fellow, published a report titled “Uncovering Radical Efforts to Disguise DEI,” that lawmakers said “targets” and “undermines” the institution and GMU President Gregory Washington. The Sept. 2 report was published as the institution navigates federal investigations focused on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, which President Donald Trump’s administration is seeking to root out at universities in Virginia and nationwide.
Stimson wrote to top Senate Democrats that he appreciates their interest and partnership, but plans to remain on the board and continue to leave his personal views “at the door.”
“I am completely committed to my continued service as Rector,” Stimson wrote. “The board is fully focused on our fiduciary duties to GMU and the commonwealth, securing the university’s funding and ensuring it continues to make all Virginians proud as a world-class academic institution. We will continue to serve the university and follow the law.”
The retired Naval officer with the Judge Advocate General Corps also said his scholarship on national security and crime policy at the Heritage Foundation has “no connection” to the foundation’s education policy work.
“Since my appointment to the Board of Visitors, I have made certain that I am fully walled off from Heritage’s work concerning education policy, especially GMU,” Stimson wrote. “I strongly reject the premise that any citizen of our commonwealth should be disqualified from public service simply because some elected officials may disagree with statements or articles attributed to other private individuals who happen to work for the same employer.”
On Aug. 22, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights announced that George Mason University violated federal civil rights laws due to alleged unlawful hiring and promotion practices. Washington’s attorney pushed back against the claims, and the governing board stated that they wished to negotiate a resolution with the agency. Stimson’s letter to lawmakers’ didn’t reference the situation.
The board is down to six voting members after the state Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections rejected multiple appointments by Gov. Glenn Youngkin to GMU’s 16-member governing board. The governor is the only person with the authority to remove an appointment from a governing board, but the legislature has the power to confirm or reject the governor’s board appointees. The matter is now under review by the Virginia Supreme Court.
Stimson joined the board on July 1, 2023 after being confirmed by the General Assembly. He was elected leader of the board a year later, which included members appointed by the previous Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam. Stimson’s term ends June 30, 2027.
The board has committee meetings scheduled for Wednesday, and the next board meeting is on Sept. 25.
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