Woody White, a veteran Wilmington politician and lawyer, resigned from the UNC Wilmington Board of Trustees Thursday because he doesn’t think the UNC System school values free expression and hearing all points of views.
White told the board his resignation was “effective immediately.” He posted his reasoning under his WoodyWhite5 Twitter account and on Facebook. He declined additional comment.
White was appointed to the board in 2018 and reappointed in 2019 for a term ending in 2023.
In a statement, UNC Wilmington said, “We thank him very much for his service while on the board and we wish him well in his future endeavors.”
White’s tweet noted that the university had changed from when his father graduated in 1974. He added that he doesn’t understand why people make large donations to universities paying “lip service to conservative values.” He said change will come with “cutting off the money and electing legislators that value change.”
On Facebook, White wrote, “UNCW places high value on diversity, equity and inclusion; programs, stats, and presentations on DEI are in every meeting, touting the metrics of race and gender, but not a peep about how important it is to nurture diversity of thought on college campuses.”
White was on the New Hanover County Commission from 2012-2020, including serving as chairman. He played a key role in the sale of the county’s New Hanover Regional Health Care Center to Winston-Salem-based Novant Health, a transaction totaling more than $4 billion in cash and capital commitments.
White has a bachelor’s degree from Southern College in Chattanooga, Tenn., and a law degree from the University of Nebraska.