As investigations and criticisms mount, it may be the end for George Mason University's president
Facing multiple investigations, the George Mason University's Board of Visitors may pressure the president to resign.
GMU President Gregory Washington is viewed as a central figure in the controversies now engulfing the university.
George Mason University President Gregory Washington is facing mounting pressure as four federal investigations cast a shadow over his upcoming performance review before the Board of Visitors on Friday.
The investigations focus on allegations of racial and sex-based discrimination in hiring under Washington’s leadership, as well as a separate probe into claims of antisemitic harassment on campus.
The Department of Education is also reviewing GMU’s employment practices under Title VI.
[RELATED: George Mason University receives notice of DOJ investigation into Title VI violations]
Faculty leaders warn the review may become political rather than performance-based. Tim Gibson of GMU’s American Association of University Professors chapter says professors are scrambling to defend Washington’s legacy.
”We’re really pushing hard in advance to try to defend the president’s record,” Gibson told VPM News.
Faculty members are expressing concern that the Board of Visitors may pressure Washington to resign to mitigate legal fallout, drawing parallels to the resignation of UVA President Jim Ryan amid similar federal pressure.
At the same time, not everyone at GMU is supportive of Washington.
Washington angered many after publishing a statement following the shooting of Palestinian students in 2023 denouncing anti-Muslim discrimination. He did not issue a similar condemnation of anti-Semitism, despite rampant discrimination and violence against Israelis and Jewish people.
[RELATED: ‘Lavender Orientation’ returns to George Mason as DEI persists despite federal pressure]
Faculty members have also contested the federal antisemitism probe.
A group of over 80 Jewish faculty signed a letter rejecting claims of a hostile environment on campus and criticized the administration’s approach as a misuse of civil rights enforcement to stifle ideological diversity.
As GMU faces multiple federal investigations and national scrutiny, Friday’s board session is expected to determine the university’s next steps.