At a time when America's conservative movement has lined up behind an adjudicated rapist for President, it seems odd that this Republican appointee to the University of Virginia's board of visitors would have a problem with describing Thomas Jefferson as a slaveholder and rapist.
Folks have been unhappy with Virginia Gov. Youngkin's appointee, Bert Ellis, to the U.Va Board of Visitors, but that didn't stop the University from capitulating to his weird demands. The University Guide Service, a student-run organization that offers campus tours, has been suspended from running admissions or historical tours. Why? Because Ellis, via an Alumni group "preserving the legacy" of Thomas Jefferson, doesn't want history accurately reflected.
"The justification for these suspensions is based on the Administration's view that UGS is failing to fulfill its delegated functions, particularly in terms of reliability and tour quality," the statement reads. "Our own accountability measures — including tour feedback solicited from all admissions tour visitors — suggest that this is an incomplete view of our tours."
The Jefferson Council, an alumni group whose stated goals are to promote a culture of civil dialogue at the University and preserve Jefferson's legacy, has historically criticized the Guide Service for inserting "radical views" and "inflammatory opinions" into its tours.
In 2022, the Jefferson Council's co-founder and former president Bert Ellis was appointed to the Board of Visitors. Both before and after his appointment to the Board, Ellis has consistently been a vocal critic of the Guide Service for the content of its tours.
"The University Guides now seem intent on 'contextualizing' Mr. Jefferson as a slave holder and rapist, and to completely undermine his part of the Founding of America and our University," Ellis said in a 2021 article published to the Jefferson Council's website.
The Cavalier Daily
At a time when conservatives are demanding schools maintain the names of traitors and that statues of traitors are not pulled down, why does this guy have a problem with Jefferson's history? I'd think he would want the University Guides telling the story for all the wrong reasons.
Previously:
• Charlottesville removes Confederate statues
