Matthew Gillikin
@mtgillikin.bsky.social
1.8K followers 1.7K following 3.6K posts
trying to figure out what's going on here, co-chair @livablecville.bsky.social
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mtgillikin.bsky.social
And that’s not even remotely close to the worst parts of the lawsuit!
mtgillikin.bsky.social
I’ll add to that this whole situation is another very good reason for significant reform to how the Board of Visitors operates. They were told about these problems (and had a legal and moral responsibility to know about them), but chose to give Kent a massive raise and lengthy contract extension.
mtgillikin.bsky.social
It’s become popular in many UVA circles to view Jim Ryan as a martyr. While obviously how he was forced out was bad (though perhaps he could have shown courage in that moment), hopefully this lawsuit will help people see that Ryan’s leadership in many ways was pretty awful, to the harm of others.
mtgillikin.bsky.social
Furthermore it’s a testament to why people don’t trust institutions: as best I can tell, all the people implicated either moved on to equivalent jobs and/or received golden parachute severance packages. There are basically no real consequences for the people who run our institutions.
mtgillikin.bsky.social
The big question is this: how was the man who ran a multi-billion dollar health system able to remain in that position despite repeated appeals to his bosses and it being well known (even before he arrived at UVA), that he was a bully? In other words, how was the system so easily manipulated?
mtgillikin.bsky.social
I just read through a 250 page lawsuit filed last week against Craig Kent, much of his leadership team, and UVA filed by 4 current/former UVA surgeons and the widows of 2 men who died receiving care at UVA. It’s a look under the hood of what drove the no confidence vote a year ago. It’s really bad.
mtgillikin.bsky.social
And Kent getting Covid tested early isn’t even remotely close to the worst things described in the lawsuit
mtgillikin.bsky.social
As someone who was providing direct care to COVID patients from the start of the pandemic, but couldn’t get tested for almost 8 months, this was particularly infuriating
5. KENT arrived at UVA just before the COVID pandemic. Just after he started, he
left for a vacation with his family to the Caribbean for two weeks. When he returned, and once
there were finally limited tests for COVID available, KENT dictated that his family and close friends be tested routinely for the virus, coupling the results of the testing with fake medical records so as to hide the identity of those being tested, and, instead of using the limited tests on staff and physicians who were still treating patients through COVID and the patients who were arriving at the hospital with COVID-type symptoms, KENT prioritized testing on the University's football
players.
mtgillikin.bsky.social
Much of the lawsuit centers around the consequences of Kent hiring a chair of cardiothoracic surgery who didn’t really know how to do cardiothoracic surgery as well as a second cardiothoracic surgeon who also didn’t really know how to do cardiothoracic surgery. Problems ensued!
mtgillikin.bsky.social
Jim Ryan and Ian Baucom turned a blind eye to literal malpractice in the health system. Kent was the bully anyone who knew anything knew he was. This is going to have major major repercussions for the health system. I appreciate the plaintiffs for being brave enough to speak up.
mtgillikin.bsky.social
I just read through a 250 page lawsuit filed last week against Craig Kent, much of his leadership team, and UVA filed by 4 current/former UVA surgeons and the widows of 2 men who died receiving care at UVA. It’s a look under the hood of what drove the no confidence vote a year ago. It’s really bad.
mtgillikin.bsky.social
I love hearing @chiosse.bsky.social talk about housing. Here he gives a great explanation of the need for new low income AND market rate housing to help reduce displacement and make communities more affordable.
mtgillikin.bsky.social
It didn’t seem like Steven was saying it should be a primary focus. Just that it would be nice to have good bike infrastructure all the way to the airport and points in between.
mtgillikin.bsky.social
A bunch of housing is going to be built before too long near the airport, if uva follows through with its North Fork housing plans. Not a huge stretch to imagine a whole bunch more bike and bus connectivity being needed up there (right near the airport)
mtgillikin.bsky.social
This has been one of the more profound and challenging books I’ve read. I’ve done more rereading of different sections of it than I usually do. And I’m only halfway done.
RACECRAFT
THE SOUL OF INEQUALITY IN AMERICAN LIFE
KAREN E. FIELDS
BARBARA J. FIELDS
"Fundamentally challenged some of my oldest and laziest ideas about race."
ZADIE SMITH
Reposted by Matthew Gillikin
mtgillikin.bsky.social
Additionally, single stair reform would open up a flexibility for families-with-kids friendly apartment options
mtgillikin.bsky.social
We can do this in Charlottesville if we want to
volts.wtf
Been strolling around central Madrid this evening, two observations:

1. The outdoor-cafe game here is so on point. They are everywhere! Tucked in every nook & cranny. Everyone is outside, *with one another*.
2. People live here, there are schools here, & so there are families with kids everywhere.
mtgillikin.bsky.social
He had an pretty easy opportunity here and failed out of the gate. He pivoted a bit but also further politicize the university’s governance. Amateur move though also seems quite like it’s his intent.
mtgillikin.bsky.social
It’s not surprising he at least had to consider whether a deal with the devil might be a good thing
mtgillikin.bsky.social
I know Mahoney and the BOV chair released a statement earlier this week expressing reservations about the Compact. But the fact that his first reaction to it wasnt a clear “hell no” tell us everything.
mtgillikin.bsky.social
From what I could gather, at the faculty senate meeting last Friday, Mahoney seemed pretty open in UVA joining the Compact, which raises some serious concerns about his judgement and understanding of current events. Glad to see VA Dems pushing back hard.

dailyprogress.com/news/local/g...
Democrats warn UVa: Sign Trump's compact and risk state funding
President Donald Trump wants UVa ti agree to a broad set of political, educational and financial principles in exchange for federal funding. Democrats are calling it extortion.
dailyprogress.com