House committee advances bill to study VMI’s public funding status

Virginia lawmakers on Tuesday advanced a bill creating a task force that would examine whether the Virginia Military Institute should remain a publicly funded, state-sponsored institution, marking the most consequential legislative step yet in a debate over the school’s governance and culture.

The proposal is part of a broader push by Democratic lawmakers to impose new oversight on VMI following a 2021 state-commissioned investigation that found persistent disparities, cultural barriers and a lack of accountability at the school.

VMI leaders have said they continue working with state officials to demonstrate progress and the institution’s value to the commonwealth.

The House Rules Committee voted along party lines to send the bill to the full House. If approved, the task force would be charged, in part, with determining whether VMI should continue receiving public funds as a state-sponsored military college.

Del. Terry Austin, R-Botetourt, whose district includes VMI, voted against the measure but said he would participate constructively if it moves forward.

“I know VMI has had its challenges in the past. I know there have been mistakes made in the past at VMI, and I know that I, myself, as a legislator representing VMI, is willing to carry the (mantle) forward, to make certain that we correct those problems,” Austin said. “And whatever this study produces, we’ll do our very best to adhere and amend to that.”

Austin emphasized he wants to preserve VMI’s status as the oldest state-supported military institution in the nation.

Public comments to the committee leaned heavily against the proposal, with alumni and parents urging lawmakers to maintain state support and pursue reforms without questioning VMI’s continued existence.

Stephen Johnson, a VMI alumnus and father of a current cadet, said lawmakers should focus on improvement rather than undermining the institution’s legitimacy.

“VMI today is not defined by the nineteenth century or by the choices of earlier generations; it is defined by the young men and women it educates now, the standards it enforces now, and the leaders it produces for Virginia and the nation,” Johnson wrote in a letter obtained by The Mercury.

Several parents said the proposal has already created uncertainty among cadets and families, particularly over the possibility that VMI could lose state funding.

Michaela Smithley said her son chose VMI to follow his father’s legacy of service but fears the proposal threatens the stability of his education. She warned that transferring governance to another institution with a different mission would fundamentally alter VMI’s identity and set a precedent that any institution may lose its autonomy when it becomes politically inconvenient.

Shortly after the start of the session, Del. Michael Feggans, D-Virginia Beach, introduced House Bill 1374 to dissolve VMI’s governing board and transfer oversight to Virginia State University’s Board of Visitors, who represent a historically Black college, close to 160 miles away.

“My child — and thousands like him — are not abstractions in a policy debate,” Smithley wrote in her public comment to lawmakers. “They are students who have already committed to serve, to lead, and to uphold the values of the commonwealth. They deserve stability, fairness, and confidence that the state they serve will not dismantle the institution they chose in good faith.”

Another parent, identifying herself only as “Menders,” testified that her son, a current cadet, called her in tears, worried he would be unable to afford his degree if VMI were to lose public funding.

“We are begging you to not change the education at VMI,” she wrote to lawmakers.

Other written testimony reflected more mixed views.

Erin Tiede and Fred Fenster, parents of a gay cadet, said their daughter has not experienced discrimination and is evaluated solely on character and performance.

Former cadets Jeremiah Woods and Travis Korhorn offered sharply different assessments.

Woods, who is Black, supported the bill, citing racial targeting, a hostile environment and VMI’s continued glorification of Confederate identity. He said he left the school after his research related to a memorial for enslaved African Americans was suppressed.

Korhorn also backed the proposal, saying unresolved issues related to racism and sexism warrant formal review.

“VMI has some culture issues relating to racism and sexism,” Korhorn said.

“I understand there was initiatives undertaken within the last few years to address these issues, but I am not privy to successes or shortcomings. I think HB 1377 would be a good initiative to review the aforementioned initiatives and provide recommendations for further improvement to the school.”

The task force bill is one of several measures aimed at VMI this session.

Del. Dan Helmer, D-Fairfax, who sponsored HB 1377, is also carrying HB 22, which would align VMI with policies used at other public universities by limiting disciplinary immunity for students who report acts of sexual violence.

Neither Feggans’ or Helmer’s bills had not been docketed as of Tuesday afternoon.

Feb. 17 is the final day the House can consider legislation that originated in the chamber. If approved by the House, the measures would advance to the Senate and, if passed there, to Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s desk.