This story was reported and written by our media partner the Virginia Mercury.
In a stunning decision that has already sparked political backlash, the Virginia Military Institute’s Board of Visitors voted Friday morning against extending the contract of Ret. Maj. Gen. Cedric Wins, the school’s first Black superintendent.
After more than two hours behind closed doors, the board rejected Wins’ contract extension in a 6-10 vote. His tenure will officially end on June 30.
Board President John Adams, a Gov. Glenn Youngkin appointee, was among those who voted against keeping Wins at the helm. Sitting beside Wins during the meeting, Adams remained silent after the decision.
But in a statement released Friday afternoon, Adams said the board was “supremely grateful” to Wins for his service to the institute during some very difficult times. “The foundation he has provided us will ensure VMI continues to fulfill its vital mission of educating future leaders,” he said.
The vote follows mounting political tensions over Wins’ future, with state lawmakers publicly clashing in recent days. House Speaker Don Scott, D-Portsmouth, sharply criticized the board’s decision.
“This decision by the VMI Board is not based on performance or character —i t is purely political,” said Scott, in a statement following the decision.
As the Virginia Military Institute Board of Visitors cast their decisive vote Friday morning, Wins sat next to Adams, awaiting the outcome.
Two Youngkin-appointed board members, C. Ernest Edgar IV and retired Rear Adm. Terence McKnight, broke from the majority and voted to extend Wins’ contract. Another Youngkin appointee, Maj. Gen. James Ring, was absent.
When the board returned back to open session, Wins sat at the center of the long table, hands clasped under his chin, as the voice count sealed his fate. After the vote, he pushed back from the table, stood up, exchanged a few words with board members, and was the first to leave the room.
Wins had led VMI since 2020, initially stepping in as interim superintendent after Ret. Gen. J.H. Binford Peay III resigned amid racism allegations at the school, first reported by the Washington Post. Months later, a state-commissioned report confirmed that deep-rooted racial and gender disparities at the institution.
“Following the developments of 2020 and the arrival of MG Cedric Wins, VMI has taken incremental steps towards a more diverse, inclusive VMI, and it has outlined plans to address the existing culture,” wrote consulting firm Barnes & Thornburg in the state-commissioned report.
“However, many in the VMI community, including senior leaders, perceive no issues or reasons to change.”
Northam, who was in office when Wins first took the reins at VMI, said he was disappointed by the board’s decision after a week in which President Donald Trump fired Air Force Gen. C.Q. Brown, who is Black, from his role as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
“Our country has purged too many patriotic military leaders this week, and now Virginia has done it too,” Northam said in a statement.
“These are dark times. Major General Cedric Wins is an accomplished leader who has given his life to serving our country, the Armed Forces, and the Virginia Military Institute. His steady leadership has made our Commonwealth stronger. VMI needs to take a hard look and ask, How long will we cling to the past? If the Institute wants to survive, it needs to start looking to the future. Time is running out.”
The controversy over Wins’ employment status escalated when U.S. Rep. Ben Cline, R-Botetourt, accused state Sen. Jennifer Carroll Foy, D-Prince William, of trying to influence the board’s decision on extending Cedric Wins’ tenure. In a Feb. 18 letter, Cline alleged that Carroll Foy sought to sway board members.
Carroll-Foy, a VMI graduate, denied the accusations, stating she never spoke with board members or issued any threats. Instead, she claims that Adams contacted her about VMI’s affairs, including concerns over resistance to having a Black superintendent.
Amid the controversy, Youngkin announced two new nominees to VMI’s Board of Visitors Wednesday — retired Lt. Col Jonathan Harstock and Richmond attorney Stephen Reardon.
Their appointments, subject to confirmation by the General Assembly, come after Democrats blocked two of Youngkin’s four nominees in January — a move the governor called an attempt to pressure the board into extending Wins’ contract, according to the Richmond-Times Dispatch.
With these latest appointments, Youngkin has now placed 13 of the 17 board members, solidifying his influence over VMI’s leadership.
The political fight over Wins’ tenure has roots in his diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts. In 2022, some critics pushed back against his efforts to expand Title IX and DEI offices, after he requested $6.1 million in state funding to support those initiatives.
Among the most vocal opponents has been The Spirit of VMI PAC, a political action committee composed of alumni, parents and students, which has urged supporters to “reject the woke assault on VMI.”
Carroll Foy condemned the board’s decision to remove Wins, calling it “politically motivated” and raising concern about how future leadership selections could impact the school’s inclusivity and reputation.
She is now pushing for an independent investigation into the board, citing conflicts of interests and political attacks against Wins from groups such as The Spirit of VMI PAC.
“They want to have us go back to an era that was not very welcoming and accepting of particular cadets,” Carroll Foy said.
She praised Wins for successfully modernizing VMI while maintaining its core traditions.
“He was making it more welcoming and opening and inclusive to prepare the nation’s future leaders, while also respecting and upholding the traditions of VMI, such as the Honor Code and the rat line,” Carroll Foy said.
“And it’s very difficult to successfully have that balance, and because of his success, this board has decided to repay him through a termination.”
No plans have been announced regarding the hiring of the next superintendent.
