WASHINGTON, June 27 (Xinhua) -- President of the University of Virginia (UVA) in the United States, James Ryan, has decided to resign following pressure from the Trump administration, The New York Times reported on Friday.

The U.S. Department of Justice, which is conducting an investigation into the university's diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, has demanded Ryan's resignation as a condition to settle the investigation, according to the report.

Some members of the school's board had pushed for Ryan's removal, fearing that if the university failed to comply with the Justice Department's demands, the Trump administration would follow through on its threat to strip the school of hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding, the report said.

Ryan has served as UVA's president since 2018. His support for DEI initiatives has drawn criticism from some conservative alumni and board members.

Since taking office in January, U.S. President Donald Trump has moved aggressively to dismantle DEI policies through executive orders, arguing that such programs promote ideological bias. ■