As Republican leaders moved to root out what they have criticized as liberal ideology at the University of Virginia, some conservative appointees to its board texted privately about ending “chemical and surgical mutilation” for transgender youth at its hospitals and undoing “regimes of racial classification” in its classrooms, according to nearly 1,000 pages of text messages reviewed by The Washington Post. … At times, the texts show tension between conservative, moderate and more liberal board members, including one who referred to his fellow board members as “crazies.” The messages, obtained through Virginia’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) by Richmond-based author Jeff Thomas and provided to The Post, also underscore the growing pressure universities are facing from the Trump administration and Republican state officials as conservatives seek to eliminate what they view as progressive indoctrination of American campuses.
The Warren County Board of Supervisors left its meeting policies and procedures mostly the same on Thursday after debating proposed changes. Chairwoman Cheryl Cullers, Vice Chairman Tony Carter and supervisors Hugh Henry, Richard Jamieson and John Stanmeyer spent roughly 80 minutes of the three-hour and 40 minute meeting delving into parts of the document before adopting the new set of policies. Carter, Jamieson and Stanmeyer submitted proposed changes. … County Attorney Jason Ham provided guidance during the discussion. Jamieson had suggested that the board adopt Robert’s Rules of Order, which he called the “gold standard” for meeting procedures. Ham disagreed and said none of his clients use the 700-plus-page Robert’s Rules of Order. Parts of Robert’s Rules of Order do not comply with Virginia law including closed-meeting provisions inconsistent with the Freedom of Information Act, Ham said.
