Rep. Roy and colleagues question UVA over apparent cancel-culture expulsion of med student

WASHINGTON — On Tuesday, Rep. Roy (TX-21), along with Reps. Morgan Griffith (VA-09), Ben Cline (VA-06), and Bob Good (VA-05) sent a letter to Dr. David Wilkes, the dean of the University of Virginia School of Medicine, questioning the University's apparently politically charged expulsion of a student who raised questions about microaggressions at a 2018 faculty-led panel.

"The founders of the University of Virginia were deeply committed to the preservation freedom, especially of speech and religion," the letter reads. James Madison, who sat on the original Board of Visitors, was instrumental in crafting and advocating for the First Amendment.

The student in question has sued the university on free speech grounds, and a federal judge allowed the case to proceed in April.

The cosigners of the letter are either UVA alumni, like Congressman Roy, or are members of Virginia's congressional delegation.

Full text of the letter is available here and below:

David S. Wilkes, M.D.
University of Virginia School of Medicine
200 Jeanette Lancaster Way
Charlottesville, VA 22903

Dear Dr. Wilkes,

We write to inquire about the high-profile expulsion of the University of Virginia medical student Kieran Bhattacharya and the subsequent free-speech lawsuit filed against school officials. As a group, we are made up of both representatives of the Commonwealth of Virginia and proud University of Virginia alumni.

The founders of the University of Virginia were deeply committed to the preservation of freedom, especially of speech and religion. James Madison, who sat on the original Board of Visitors, was instrumental in crafting and advocating for the First Amendment. Thomas Jefferson when describing the University said, "here, we are not afraid to follow truth wherever it may lead, nor tolerate any error so long as reason is left free to combat it." Given the University's extensive history dedicated to our most fundamental freedoms, we find the circumstances surrounding Mr. Bhattacharya's expulsion to be incredibly concerning and meritorious of examination and discussion.

According to news reports, Mr. Bhattacharya attended a University of Virginia School of Medicine panel discussion on microaggressions. At the panel, he asked a series of questions during the question-and-answer portion of the presentation. In direct response to his questions, campus officials issued a "professionalism concern card" to Mr. Bhattacharya. Soon after, he was suspended and finally banned from campus. After listening to the audio recording of the discussion, we are deeply perturbed as to how these events transpired.

We question how the University's actions towards Mr. Bhattacharya support the ideals that Jefferson and Madison so ardently defended. These actions appear to starkly undermine Jefferson's vision of this institution. As did the founders, we believe it is imperative that students can freely speak, question, and discuss ideas without fear of reprisal.

We recognize that this case is still under litigation, however as Members of Congress intrinsically vested in the preservation of the principles Thomas Jefferson so earnestly guarded, we respectfully request a meeting with you to discuss this series of events.

Sincerely,

Chip Roy
Member of Congress

Morgan Griffith
Member of Congress

Ben Cline
Member of Congress

Bob Good
Member of Congress

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