Gov. Mike Braun Abruptly Removes IU Trustee Vivian Winston; University Website Scrubs Profiles of Elected Trustees

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UPDATE: Indiana University issued the following statement Monday after trustees Donna Spears, Vivian Winston and Jill Burnett were abruptly removed following a new law granting Gov. Mike Braun the authority to hire and fire university trustees at his discretion.

Release as follows:

“For Immediate Release Jun 2, 2025

INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Gov. Mike Braun has announced the appointment of four members of the Indiana University Board of Trustees, effective immediately.

In addition to reappointing W. Quinn Buckner, who currently serves as chair, Braun has appointed attorney James Bopp Jr., attorney Brian Eagle and sports broadcaster Sage Steele to the board. All appointees are IU alumni.

“I look forward to working with our new trustees, who join the board at a pivotal time of positive momentum for IU,” IU President Pamela Whitten said. “Each has a deep love for IU and shares our vision for putting students first, advancing groundbreaking research and serving our state.”

Buckner has served as chair of the Board of Trustees since 2021.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue serving my alma mater, which has given me so much,” Buckner said. “As chair, I welcome my new colleagues to the board and am excited to collaborate as a team to continue propelling IU to new heights.””

—

Staff report

Bloomington, Ind – June 2, 2025

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana Governor Mike Braun has removed Vivian Winston from the Indiana University Board of Trustees, ending her term without prior public explanation. Winston shared the news in a brief Facebook post Monday morning, writing, “I received this at 7:30 this morning. My term as a trustee is officially and abruptly over.”

A photo of the letter she received, dated May 31, 2025, and signed by Braun, confirms the action. “Pursuant to IC 21-20-3-2.5(a), this is official notice of your removal from the Board of Trustees of Indiana University, effective immediately,” the letter states.

Winston’s profile was removed from the university’s website. Visitors to her former page are now met with a “Page Not Found” message. Also missing from the online roster is longtime trustee Donna B. Spears, an IU alumna with three degrees from the institution and decades of service in leadership and philanthropy.

Former IU trustee Cindy Stone said on Facebook, “Seems that all three of our duly-elected IU alumni trustees have been terminated today. The decades of service to our university, with so much time, talent and treasure just being disrespected here by Vivian Winston, Donna B. Spears and Jill Burnett. This is truly a loss of such talented volunteers and Herman B Wells would not have stood for this….”

“Some years we have had over 30,000 alumni vote for one of their own, like me, to have a seat on the board and serve their alma mater. This now ends because of an authoritarian university president who was intimidated by these women!” Stone added.

As of Monday afternoon, only six trustees remained listed on the IU website: W. Quinn Buckner (chair), Cindy Lucchese (vice chair), Cathy Langham, J. Timothy Morris, Kyle S. Seibert, and Isaac Torres.

Comments poured in on Winston’s Facebook post, expressing shock, gratitude, and condemnation of the move.

“This is reprehensible!” wrote one commenter. “You were a breath of fresh air—not to mention a voice of reason!”

Another added, “IU has turned in an incomprehensible, destructive, insular direction. I will forever detest Quinn Buckner, and I am in very good company in detesting him.”

Multiple commenters said they were reconsidering donations to the university in light of the incident, while others called the move politically motivated and undemocratic.

Winston has not made additional public statements beyond her initial Facebook post, but the tone of responses suggests deep dissatisfaction among segments of IU’s alumni, faculty, and staff over the direction of the board and governance under Governor Braun’s administration.

As of now, no replacement for Winston, Spears, or Burnett has been named.

Also:

https://indianapublicmedia.org/news/iu-trustees-arent-unanimous-on-letter-supporting-pres-whitten.php

https://www.idsnews.com/article/2025/04/mike-braun-total-control-over-iu-board-of-trustees-selection-appointments

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