University of Virginia suspends tours that had come under fire for mentioning Thomas Jefferson's ties to slavery

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I thought our UVA tour was awkward. We walked by one set of dorms, saw the inside of one building, then spent the rest of the time standing on the Lawn while the guide talked about how racist the community was. Learned very little about the school. The strangest tour we had.

You forgot the part where we had to acknowledge the indigenous people whose land we were trodding upon.

Ours required a moment of silence. People in the tour looked so confused.

Sounds like a few rogue student guides. Not our experience at all.

? It’s literally in the news that UVA adjusted their tours. I highly doubt it was a few rogue guides. Either way, my child isn’t applying. Damage done.

Whatever will they do without your child?

You seriously think it is in UVA’s interest to have tours that turn kids off from applying? You’re being absurd.

For every kid turned off, there are plenty who become more interested, or don’t really care either way. If it really deterred your kid from applying, then it just wasn’t the right school for them. There are thousands upon thousands of others happy to take their place.

I don't think so. The international crowd really doesn't want to hear too much positive or negative about history. Either way they would feel unwelcomed. They likely expect some reference but really care more about the classes, teachers, campus life, and notable achievements of the university in the present.

I’m sure Youngkin’s appointees to the Board of Trustees totally care what the international crowd wants to hear.

Look in the mirror at your own bias. At the root is some sort of superiority need not anything actually useful. You are not that special or woke. Tons of other universities acknowledge history without such an agenda.

What agenda?

I’m definitely not special or woke. I haven’t been on one of these tours yet, but my kid scheduled one in October, so I can’t fully comment on the content until then. But I’m an alum who always found the over-the-top Jefferson worship a bit puzzling, and the downplaying of racial tensions on Grounds a bit troubling, so if the next generation wants to work on that, I say good for them.

You went to a school founded by Jefferson and you can't understand why they are excited about him? They failed you, and you failed yourself.

“Excited by him”? So creepy.

Every school that has a famous founder touts him, idiot.

What’s another example of a school with a famous founder who touts them as passionately as UVA once exalted TJ?

is the answer Kim Il Sung University?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UVA alum here.
The University Guides serve a purpose to provide campus tours to prospective students which includes historically accurate info on the founding of the school. If your kiddos don’t like to hear that slaves built UVA, then perhaps they aren’t ready for the academic rigor of UVA and the growth that only comes from mature intellectual conversations based on the truth. You can’t shield them from it no matter how hard you try.

The tours at Monticello now finally tell the true story of Sally Hemmings. For decades, her quarters were closed off, and they only used part of it for public restroom, but they finally invested millions of dollars to restore back to the way it was because the story needs to be told.
https://www.monticello.org/sallyhemings/

The African-American History Museum in Washington, DC tells the true story of Thomas Jefferson.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-dark-side-of-thomas-jefferson-35976004/

What is UVA so scared off?
Oh maybe that the kiddos will form their own opinions on these topics?

The fact that you continue to call college-aged students "kiddos" is so telling. Monticello is an appropriate place to tell the story of Sally Hemmings. A UVA tour might mention that the school was built by slaves. But to focus an entire COLLEGE tour on racism?? Sorry, no. That is incredibly misguided. Glad to see the pendulum is finally swinging back to the middle.

I toured UVA with my kid last year and slavery was mentioned, but it was not the entire tour, nor a major focus. Many of these posters are wildly exaggerating and some may have their own agenda.

Bingo

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought our UVA tour was awkward. We walked by one set of dorms, saw the inside of one building, then spent the rest of the time standing on the Lawn while the guide talked about how racist the community was. Learned very little about the school. The strangest tour we had.

You forgot the part where we had to acknowledge the indigenous people whose land we were trodding upon.

Why didn’t you want to acknowledge the land?

What land in Virginia wasn’t indigenous?

Correct. They are acknowledging that.

Do you expect your grocery store to do this? The metro?

They do in places like Australia

Who here is doing college tours in Australia?

It was in response to grocery stores no colleges. Can u read?

I’ve never been on a tour of a grocery store or metro. I wondered what that poster was talking about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is part of an ongoing struggle between Jefferson the man and Jefferson the myth.

Acknowledging that UVa has a troubled history is not only important but also shouldn’t have 0 effect on perspective students and their outlook on the university.

If you don’t like history, go complain to Mr Jefferson’s ancestors

Yeah, UVA students used to be completely gaga for Jefferson. To an embarrassing degree, it was just how you were supposed to be—quoting him, wearing his face on a t-shirt, thinking “what would TJ do?” It was just another quirk that made UVA students feel superior to our peers at other state institutions, where no one knows or cares who the founder was.

Though this might seem like a correction to far in the other direction for some, it’s just part of a reckoning and in keeping with the times.

That’s Mr. Jefferson.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was a Guide in the early 90s. As was my husband. His brother. His brother's wife. The Guardians of our children should anything happen to us. We've helped fund a scholarship at UVA to honor our Guide friend who past away. I could go on and on. The University Guide Service has meant a lot to me -- and still does.

This is a change a long time coming and while I am sad it came to this, it had to be done. This isn't some antiwokeness or whatever. I cannot stand Youngkin, but it isn't his fault. The UGS lost their way. They needed a change. I'm hopeful that there will be something better to come.

Most recently, the Admissions office has been training Guides to do the Admissions tours. We took our DS this spring and it was a good tour - I would have liked more history and such - but there's a lot to cram in and we thought she did a great job and I even got teary at the end (full disclosure, although we were randomly assigned a Guide after the admissions session, turns out we knew her. Her Dad had been a Guide with us, her Aunt was a Guide, her Uncle...you get the idea).

We were very hesitant to allow our kid to even go on a tour because the stories for years had been horrible - from both former Guide parents to friends with no previous ties to UVA. I've been following along some of the many issues on a Facebook site for Guide alums and have been so disheartened to see what had become of a very special (to me) organization. As one alum put it -- it used to be a group of students who were very interested in telling the stories of the University, and had a lot of fun along the way too. Now it's more of a social club which takes out their angst on unsuspecting tourists and perspective students.

It pains me to see what has happened but they needed to be stopped. Perhaps Admissions should be in charge of Admissions tours, but hopefuly the UGS will pull it together and be allowed once more to give Historical tours of the amazing UNESCO World Heritage side that I got to know and love.

Isn't this one of the current criticisms? That it's become an exclusive club to be accepted, where "who you know" is more important than "what you know?"

I was at UVA in the mid 90s and the Guides had an exclusive club vibe then too. In the 90s the school didn’t spend much time acknowledging the complicated nature of TJ owning slaves and Sally Hemmings in particular. I feel like much of the current climate is a direct result of people at The University (cough, cough) refusing to acknowledge any historical unpleasantness for so long. Maybe it’s tipped too far in one direction but this comes after decades and decades of being too far in the other direction.

Exactly. When the tour guide program was a good ole boys (and docile girls) network forever and ever, this is what happens. How do you think quirky, non traditional students, or POC felt on those tours led by the good ole boys? Probably like they were not welcome at UVA. I know from first hand experience because I was a POC who toured UVA in the late 90s and was so turned off by the vibes from the tour guide who acted like it was a country club and not a university. Maybe the current tour has missed the mark, but let’s not forget how we got here.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:It’s not “mention,” it’s “entire focus” of the tour.

Big difference. I am sure the kinds of tours provided at Mount Vernon, which are comprehensive but not agenda- driven woke, will still be given at uva

The “agenda” of acknowledging slavery and fighting racism?

Right. Neither should appear on the agenda when one adult shows another adult the present-day features of a school.

Perseverating on Sally Hemmings 400 years ago does not "fight racism" today. And like PP said, "acknowledging" something from 400 years ago is performative bullshit, because there isn't a high school student in the northern hemisphere who is unaware that slavery occurred.

Really? Seems like a lot of people are pretending like it - and racist policies - never happened.

Look at all of the people fighting racial diversity college admissions.

Yes using race in college admissions is unconstitutional.

Wrong. Elitists hoarding opportunities will only lead to more inequality, less inclusion.

Feel free to push for a constitutional amendment.

Not with the current right-wing, corrupt SCOTUS.

SCOTUS can’t overturn a constitutional amendment. Take a civics class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UVA alum here.
The University Guides serve a purpose to provide campus tours to prospective students which includes historically accurate info on the founding of the school. If your kiddos don’t like to hear that slaves built UVA, then perhaps they aren’t ready for the academic rigor of UVA and the growth that only comes from mature intellectual conversations based on the truth. You can’t shield them from it no matter how hard you try.

The tours at Monticello now finally tell the true story of Sally Hemmings. For decades, her quarters were closed off, and they only used part of it for public restroom, but they finally invested millions of dollars to restore back to the way it was because the story needs to be told.
https://www.monticello.org/sallyhemings/

The African-American History Museum in Washington, DC tells the true story of Thomas Jefferson.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-dark-side-of-thomas-jefferson-35976004/

What is UVA so scared off?
Oh maybe that the kiddos will form their own opinions on these topics?

The fact that you continue to call college-aged students "kiddos" is so telling. Monticello is an appropriate place to tell the story of Sally Hemmings. A UVA tour might mention that the school was built by slaves. But to focus an entire COLLEGE tour on racism?? Sorry, no. That is incredibly misguided. Glad to see the pendulum is finally swinging back to the middle.

For the most part these kids are all dependents relying on parents to pay their way through the world but it's one thing to pay 30K for your kids to be educated, it's another to pay that to have your kids be indoctrinated.

Oh no! Better not have your kid learn about the inequalities in the world.

They don't need to pay $40k to $90k a year to learn about that. In fact paying any money at all for that is a sign of low intelligence.

Next they’ll ban books about Jeffersons role in slavery. GTFOH

Maam this is a Wendy’s.

We are talking about a one hour college tour for prospective students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UVA alum here.
The University Guides serve a purpose to provide campus tours to prospective students which includes historically accurate info on the founding of the school. If your kiddos don’t like to hear that slaves built UVA, then perhaps they aren’t ready for the academic rigor of UVA and the growth that only comes from mature intellectual conversations based on the truth. You can’t shield them from it no matter how hard you try.

The tours at Monticello now finally tell the true story of Sally Hemmings. For decades, her quarters were closed off, and they only used part of it for public restroom, but they finally invested millions of dollars to restore back to the way it was because the story needs to be told.
https://www.monticello.org/sallyhemings/

The African-American History Museum in Washington, DC tells the true story of Thomas Jefferson.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-dark-side-of-thomas-jefferson-35976004/

What is UVA so scared off?
Oh maybe that the kiddos will form their own opinions on these topics?

The fact that you continue to call college-aged students "kiddos" is so telling. Monticello is an appropriate place to tell the story of Sally Hemmings. A UVA tour might mention that the school was built by slaves. But to focus an entire COLLEGE tour on racism?? Sorry, no. That is incredibly misguided. Glad to see the pendulum is finally swinging back to the middle.

I toured UVA with my kid last year and slavery was mentioned, but it was not the entire tour, nor a major focus. Many of these posters are wildly exaggerating and some may have their own agenda.

Bingo

Nope. I was hoping my kid would like UVA and was really disappointed that the tour went the way it did. Just because you are uncomfortable with what you are hearing on this thread and the fact that the tours had to be revamped accordingly doesn’t mean posters here had an agenda.

We aren’t the problem here - the guides were.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought our UVA tour was awkward. We walked by one set of dorms, saw the inside of one building, then spent the rest of the time standing on the Lawn while the guide talked about how racist the community was. Learned very little about the school. The strangest tour we had.

You forgot the part where we had to acknowledge the indigenous people whose land we were trodding upon.

Why didn’t you want to acknowledge the land?

What land in Virginia wasn’t indigenous?

Correct. They are acknowledging that.

Do you expect your grocery store to do this? The metro?

They do in places like Australia

Who here is doing college tours in Australia?

It was in response to grocery stores no colleges. Can u read?

I’ve never been on a tour of a grocery store or metro. I wondered what that poster was talking about.

You didn’t understand that all land in Virginia was once indigenous not just UVA, but that we don’t expect an acknowledgement every time we step on the metro or into a Va gas station? Not sure how that went over your head.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UVA alum here.
The University Guides serve a purpose to provide campus tours to prospective students which includes historically accurate info on the founding of the school. If your kiddos don’t like to hear that slaves built UVA, then perhaps they aren’t ready for the academic rigor of UVA and the growth that only comes from mature intellectual conversations based on the truth. You can’t shield them from it no matter how hard you try.

The tours at Monticello now finally tell the true story of Sally Hemmings. For decades, her quarters were closed off, and they only used part of it for public restroom, but they finally invested millions of dollars to restore back to the way it was because the story needs to be told.
https://www.monticello.org/sallyhemings/

The African-American History Museum in Washington, DC tells the true story of Thomas Jefferson.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-dark-side-of-thomas-jefferson-35976004/

What is UVA so scared off?
Oh maybe that the kiddos will form their own opinions on these topics?

The fact that you continue to call college-aged students "kiddos" is so telling. Monticello is an appropriate place to tell the story of Sally Hemmings. A UVA tour might mention that the school was built by slaves. But to focus an entire COLLEGE tour on racism?? Sorry, no. That is incredibly misguided. Glad to see the pendulum is finally swinging back to the middle.

I toured UVA with my kid last year and slavery was mentioned, but it was not the entire tour, nor a major focus. Many of these posters are wildly exaggerating and some may have their own agenda.

Bingo

Nope. I was hoping my kid would like UVA and was really disappointed that the tour went the way it did. Just because you are uncomfortable with what you are hearing on this thread and the fact that the tours had to be revamped accordingly doesn’t mean posters here had an agenda.

We aren’t the problem here - the guides were.

Maybe your kid just didn’t like UVA. Maybe they sensed how much you were hoping they’d like it. I think you’re placing too much blame on a single tour guide. It’s always a crap shoot. Even if there’s no historical angle, the guide could be a turnoff for any number of other reasons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UVA alum here.
The University Guides serve a purpose to provide campus tours to prospective students which includes historically accurate info on the founding of the school. If your kiddos don’t like to hear that slaves built UVA, then perhaps they aren’t ready for the academic rigor of UVA and the growth that only comes from mature intellectual conversations based on the truth. You can’t shield them from it no matter how hard you try.

The tours at Monticello now finally tell the true story of Sally Hemmings. For decades, her quarters were closed off, and they only used part of it for public restroom, but they finally invested millions of dollars to restore back to the way it was because the story needs to be told.
https://www.monticello.org/sallyhemings/

The African-American History Museum in Washington, DC tells the true story of Thomas Jefferson.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-dark-side-of-thomas-jefferson-35976004/

What is UVA so scared off?
Oh maybe that the kiddos will form their own opinions on these topics?

The fact that you continue to call college-aged students "kiddos" is so telling. Monticello is an appropriate place to tell the story of Sally Hemmings. A UVA tour might mention that the school was built by slaves. But to focus an entire COLLEGE tour on racism?? Sorry, no. That is incredibly misguided. Glad to see the pendulum is finally swinging back to the middle.

I toured UVA with my kid last year and slavery was mentioned, but it was not the entire tour, nor a major focus. Many of these posters are wildly exaggerating and some may have their own agenda.

Bingo

Nope. I was hoping my kid would like UVA and was really disappointed that the tour went the way it did. Just because you are uncomfortable with what you are hearing on this thread and the fact that the tours had to be revamped accordingly doesn’t mean posters here had an agenda.

We aren’t the problem here - the guides were.

Maybe your kid just didn’t like UVA. Maybe they sensed how much you were hoping they’d like it. I think you’re placing too much blame on a single tour guide. It’s always a crap shoot. Even if there’s no historical angle, the guide could be a turnoff for any number of other reasons.

Or maybe I can listen to my teen who tells me that after that tour, she won’t apply? She is capable of using her own words and explaining what turned her off and why.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UVA alum here.
The University Guides serve a purpose to provide campus tours to prospective students which includes historically accurate info on the founding of the school. If your kiddos don’t like to hear that slaves built UVA, then perhaps they aren’t ready for the academic rigor of UVA and the growth that only comes from mature intellectual conversations based on the truth. You can’t shield them from it no matter how hard you try.

The tours at Monticello now finally tell the true story of Sally Hemmings. For decades, her quarters were closed off, and they only used part of it for public restroom, but they finally invested millions of dollars to restore back to the way it was because the story needs to be told.
https://www.monticello.org/sallyhemings/

The African-American History Museum in Washington, DC tells the true story of Thomas Jefferson.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-dark-side-of-thomas-jefferson-35976004/

What is UVA so scared off?
Oh maybe that the kiddos will form their own opinions on these topics?

The fact that you continue to call college-aged students "kiddos" is so telling. Monticello is an appropriate place to tell the story of Sally Hemmings. A UVA tour might mention that the school was built by slaves. But to focus an entire COLLEGE tour on racism?? Sorry, no. That is incredibly misguided. Glad to see the pendulum is finally swinging back to the middle.

I toured UVA with my kid last year and slavery was mentioned, but it was not the entire tour, nor a major focus. Many of these posters are wildly exaggerating and some may have their own agenda.

Bingo

Nope. I was hoping my kid would like UVA and was really disappointed that the tour went the way it did. Just because you are uncomfortable with what you are hearing on this thread and the fact that the tours had to be revamped accordingly doesn’t mean posters here had an agenda.

We aren’t the problem here - the guides were.

Maybe your kid just didn’t like UVA. Maybe they sensed how much you were hoping they’d like it. I think you’re placing too much blame on a single tour guide. It’s always a crap shoot. Even if there’s no historical angle, the guide could be a turnoff for any number of other reasons.

Or maybe I can listen to my teen who tells me that after that tour, she won’t apply? She is capable of using her own words and explaining what turned her off and why.

Great, then it sounds like she wouldn’t have been happy there. Good on her for knowing herself. Win-win.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UVA alum here.
The University Guides serve a purpose to provide campus tours to prospective students which includes historically accurate info on the founding of the school. If your kiddos don’t like to hear that slaves built UVA, then perhaps they aren’t ready for the academic rigor of UVA and the growth that only comes from mature intellectual conversations based on the truth. You can’t shield them from it no matter how hard you try.

The tours at Monticello now finally tell the true story of Sally Hemmings. For decades, her quarters were closed off, and they only used part of it for public restroom, but they finally invested millions of dollars to restore back to the way it was because the story needs to be told.
https://www.monticello.org/sallyhemings/

The African-American History Museum in Washington, DC tells the true story of Thomas Jefferson.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-dark-side-of-thomas-jefferson-35976004/

What is UVA so scared off?
Oh maybe that the kiddos will form their own opinions on these topics?

The fact that you continue to call college-aged students "kiddos" is so telling. Monticello is an appropriate place to tell the story of Sally Hemmings. A UVA tour might mention that the school was built by slaves. But to focus an entire COLLEGE tour on racism?? Sorry, no. That is incredibly misguided. Glad to see the pendulum is finally swinging back to the middle.

I toured UVA with my kid last year and slavery was mentioned, but it was not the entire tour, nor a major focus. Many of these posters are wildly exaggerating and some may have their own agenda.

Bingo

Nope. I was hoping my kid would like UVA and was really disappointed that the tour went the way it did. Just because you are uncomfortable with what you are hearing on this thread and the fact that the tours had to be revamped accordingly doesn’t mean posters here had an agenda.

We aren’t the problem here - the guides were.

Maybe your kid just didn’t like UVA. Maybe they sensed how much you were hoping they’d like it. I think you’re placing too much blame on a single tour guide. It’s always a crap shoot. Even if there’s no historical angle, the guide could be a turnoff for any number of other reasons.

Or maybe I can listen to my teen who tells me that after that tour, she won’t apply? She is capable of using her own words and explaining what turned her off and why.

Great, then it sounds like she wouldn’t have been happy there. Good on her for knowing herself. Win-win.

Not at all great. I think my teen would have chosen to apply if she had had a better guide experience and that the guide was not a reflection of the student body and their positive view of UVA.

Nor was my teen alone in her feelings. In his Friday letter the provost acknowledged the negative feedback the tours were generating: “Feedback from visitors, Farmer wrote, included complaints “about what they have described as excessive and off-putting negativity about the University.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UVA alum here.
The University Guides serve a purpose to provide campus tours to prospective students which includes historically accurate info on the founding of the school. If your kiddos don’t like to hear that slaves built UVA, then perhaps they aren’t ready for the academic rigor of UVA and the growth that only comes from mature intellectual conversations based on the truth. You can’t shield them from it no matter how hard you try.

The tours at Monticello now finally tell the true story of Sally Hemmings. For decades, her quarters were closed off, and they only used part of it for public restroom, but they finally invested millions of dollars to restore back to the way it was because the story needs to be told.
https://www.monticello.org/sallyhemings/

The African-American History Museum in Washington, DC tells the true story of Thomas Jefferson.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-dark-side-of-thomas-jefferson-35976004/

What is UVA so scared off?
Oh maybe that the kiddos will form their own opinions on these topics?

The fact that you continue to call college-aged students "kiddos" is so telling. Monticello is an appropriate place to tell the story of Sally Hemmings. A UVA tour might mention that the school was built by slaves. But to focus an entire COLLEGE tour on racism?? Sorry, no. That is incredibly misguided. Glad to see the pendulum is finally swinging back to the middle.

I toured UVA with my kid last year and slavery was mentioned, but it was not the entire tour, nor a major focus. Many of these posters are wildly exaggerating and some may have their own agenda.

Bingo

Nope. I was hoping my kid would like UVA and was really disappointed that the tour went the way it did. Just because you are uncomfortable with what you are hearing on this thread and the fact that the tours had to be revamped accordingly doesn’t mean posters here had an agenda.

We aren’t the problem here - the guides were.

Maybe your kid just didn’t like UVA. Maybe they sensed how much you were hoping they’d like it. I think you’re placing too much blame on a single tour guide. It’s always a crap shoot. Even if there’s no historical angle, the guide could be a turnoff for any number of other reasons.

Or maybe I can listen to my teen who tells me that after that tour, she won’t apply? She is capable of using her own words and explaining what turned her off and why.

Great, then it sounds like she wouldn’t have been happy there. Good on her for knowing herself. Win-win.

Not at all great. I think my teen would have chosen to apply if she had had a better guide experience and that the guide was not a reflection of the student body and their positive view of UVA.

Nor was my teen alone in her feelings. In his Friday letter the provost acknowledged the negative feedback the tours were generating: “Feedback from visitors, Farmer wrote, included complaints “about what they have described as excessive and off-putting negativity about the University.”

As an alum who had a not great time at UVA, believe me, it’s not for everyone. Perhaps it’s for the best for your daughter. She’s not applying. You can move on and stop being mad at the 20-year-old tour guide now.

[Anonymous]

Bert Ellis, governor Youngkin’s appointee to the UVA board of visitor had been fixated on stopping the student- led tours for years

Emphasis on student-led

Ellis has divided UVA faculty and has now moved on to divide students and families

The Cavalier Daily, UVA’s student run newspaper has been reporting on him for sometime now

Read it for yourselves. His text messages are appalling, he does not care about students. He has a radical right wing agenda

https://www.cavalierdaily.com/article/2023/02/bert-ellis-threatens-to-raise-hell-with-the-bov-in-text-messages-to-board-members-u-va-officials