The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s vice chancellor for diversity, equity and inclusion has been removed from his position after an internal review found “concerns about financial operations and fiscal judgements,” according to the school.
LaVar Charleston has led the Division of Diversity, Equity and Educational Achievement for three years.
He will leave his role as vice chancellor and return to his backup appointment as clinical professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis in the School of Education.
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The change is effective immediately. The leadership change does not involve any criminal allegations.
Provost Charles Isbell will serve as acting director of the department until an interim director is appointed.
“On Jan. 7, the unit’s leadership was notified that fiscal authority of DDEEA would be shifting to the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration,” according to a statement from UW-Madison. “Events, programs and services in DDEEA will continue under Isbell’s leadership and the existing senior DDEEA leadership team, and there should be no direct impact on students in DDEEA programs.”
The school would not comment further and did not say what prompted the financial review of the department.
When Charleston was named vice chancellor for inclusive excellence in August 2024, UW-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin said his “deep understanding of the challenges we face and exceptional leadership skills would help him play an even more expansive role in guiding our efforts to build a more connected and inclusive campus community.”
Mnookin and UW-Madison’s ongoing commitment to DEI efforts is a contradiction to Assembly Speaker Robin Vos’ commitment to eliminate those practices.
Vos, R-Rochester, held up pay raises for 34,000 UW employees for months in 2023 until an agreement was struck that restructured a number of DEI positions and froze new hiring in such roles through 2026.
After the deal, Vos took to social media, saying, “Republicans know this is just the first step in what will be our continuing efforts to eliminate these cancerous DEI practices on UW campuses.”
Vos commended Mnookin for taking “swift action” in removing Charleston from his post.
State Rep. Amanda Nedweski, R-Pleasant Prairie, who is vice-chair of the Committee on Colleges and Universities, said the real offense was Charleston was paid more than $300,000 for a DEI position that “adds no academic value.”
In his role, Charleston oversaw the university’s efforts to “create inclusive learning and working environments for all students, faculty, staff, alumni, and others,” according to the school’s website.
Charleston is a native of Detroit who served as the inaugural associate dean for equity, diversity and inclusion at UW-Madison’s School of Education before leading DDEEA.
Prior to that role, he served as the inaugural assistant vice chancellor for student diversity and engagement at UW-Whitewater.
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