Wheaton alumni divided after Russell Vought confirmation

Hundreds of Wheaton students and alumni recently published an open letter calling for a change in college leadership and an end to policies on diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI. They accused the college of institutional drift—violation of its statement of faith, and acceptance of LGBT terminology and identities. The letter comes amid a rift among alumni that seemed to begin over a week ago with the Senate’s confirmation of Wheaton alumnus Russell Vought to a post in the Trump administration.

Vought also served in the first Trump administration. A former WORLD columnist, he is listed as an author on the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025.

In their letter, Alumni For Wheaton asked the college to conduct an audit of all employees’ commitment to the statement of faith and reevaluate its process for judging claims of racism and sexism. Until significant changes are made, the signatories pledged to stop supporting the college financially or recommending it to others. The Alumni for Wheaton letter expresses concerns about both Wheaton’s leadership and the viewpoints it teaches students. Over 900 students and alumni digitally signed the letter by Wednesday afternoon, along with several hundred parents and friends. 

What spurred the controversy? Wheaton College in a Feb. 7 social media post congratulated alumnus Russell Vought on his confirmation as the White House director of the Office of Management and Budget. After receiving backlash from thousands of alumni online, it deleted the post. The college then posted an apology and affirmed its nonpolitical status.

On Feb. 10, over 1,300 students and alumni signed an open letter criticizing the college’s perceived endorsement of Vought. They wrote that Vought would implement Project 2025 initiatives including “rolling back opportunities and protections for … LGBTQ individuals” and “gutting protections for undocumented immigrants.”

Dig deeper: Listen to John Stonestreet’s Culture Friday take on weak evangelical leadership.