Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) said in a Sunday interview that University of Virginia President James Ryan, who submitted his resignation on Friday, was given an “explicit” deadline to step aside, in a letter last week from the Department of Justice (DOJ).

The Justice Department had demanded that Jim Ryan step down to resolve an investigation into the school’s diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

The president of the University of Virginia has announced he is resigning amid heavy pressure from conservative critics and the Trump administration over the school's diversity, equity and inclusion policies.