![]() This is Morris's second lawsuit in the ongoing war over VMI's future. The Yorktown, Va.-based firm, Center for Applied Innovation, is run by Bob Morris, a retired Army colonel and member of the Class of 1979. On April 1, a company run by another aggrieved White alumnus filed a lawsuit in state court against VMI and NewPoint Strategies asking a judge to halt the contract. We exist to educate and train leaders of character." Villani has his own definition of critical race theory, which is based on his political philosophy. "Critical race theory is not being taught on. In an interview, Bill Wyatt, VMI's spokesman, disputed Villani's characterization of the college's diversity training. Their devotion and support are unparalleled, and their generosity helps VMI maintain its position as one of the top small colleges in the nation." But Wins also warned that, "for the few who choose an unproductive path by pushing a false narrative, their efforts only serve as a detriment to the current Corps of Cadets." ![]() In a statement to The Washington Post, Wins called the school's alumni "a tremendous asset to the Institute. The founding partners of NewPoint Strategies, Lynne Revo-Cohen and Karetta Hubbard, also declined to comment. Victoria LaCivita, a spokeswoman for Miyares, did not return to messages seeking comment. Villani, who has angered Wins and other VMI officials before, claimed on a conservative blog in late March that his petition had "well over 900" supporters, though the document doesn't reveal the signatories or how many of them are cadets, graduates or parents. The petition also asks Miyares to stop the college's implementation of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives until the "appropriate" state agency conducts a "full investigation" to determine whether critical race theory - an academic framework that examines systemic racism in America - or other "divisive training" are occurring at VMI. Villani circulated a petition online calling for Virginia's new attorney general Jason Miyares, R, to halt the NewPoint Strategies contract or any similar contracts at the school. Villani Jr., a White member of the Class of 1976 and frequent public critic of the college's direction. The first attack on the contract came in March from Carmen D. Women make up 14 percent of the student body. Just 6 percent of its 1,650 cadets are Black. The college, whose cadets fought and died for the Confederacy, did not admit its first Black students until 1968 and its first women until 1997. ![]() VMI, which received $21.6 million in state funding for the 2021-2022 academic year, has been under pressure to address racism and sexism on its 182-year-old campus in Lexington. In its request for proposals, VMI said the winning applicant must "provide opportunities for individuals to embrace DEI concepts, explore allyship, and a framework for lifelong learning." The college also said the firm "must be able to discuss cultural and identity oppression in the context of current culture as it relates to VMI." The contract would last from the date of the actual award to June 2023, with four optional one-year renewals. The firm's proposed price is about $100,000. In late February, VMI notified NewPoint Strategies of its intent to award it a contract to provide diversity, equity and inclusion training to the college's faculty, staff and students. The disgruntled alumni are homing in on a specific target: NewPoint Strategies, a Northern Virginia consulting firm whose clients have included the Defense Department, Fortune 500 companies, federal government agencies, universities and nonprofits. Glenn Youngkin, R, who banned teaching "critical race theory" in K-12 schools and purged the word "equity" from Virginia's education system. The group - irate over a state-ordered investigation last year that concluded the college suffered from a "racist and sexist culture" - appears emboldened by the election of Gov. Wins, has been increasingly vocal about the need for diversity initiatives, a network of older, White alumni upset with the school's reforms is ratcheting up their attacks on the college's new agenda. Conservative Virginia Military Institute alumni are using a petition drive and a lawsuit to challenge diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at the nation's oldest state-supported military college, ignoring the priorities of VMI's first Black superintendent.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |