As a public school, Alabama’s “litigation bait” abortion bill became very much the University of Alabama Law School’s problem. When the school’s most visible donor — the man who gave the school some $26 million and earned his name on the door — spoke out against supporting public institutions in Alabama over the abortion bill, local politicians and the board of trustees made noises about forfeiting the money just to sever ties with the guy.
And now they have. That sure didn’t take long! But it is very much on brand for this debate that the Trustees were forced to make a drastic, life-altering decision within days.
University of Alabama trustees voted Friday to return a record $21.5 million donation from controversial donor Hugh Culverhouse Jr. and rename the law school. Culverhouse had originally pledged a total of $26.5 million.
The school claims it had unrelated difficulties in working with Culverhouse. It just so happens that these difficulties came to a head at the precise moment that the state government passed an abortion bill and Culverhouse raised constitutional objections. It’s not particularly great timing for the school. And they wasted no time getting petty with the break — sending folks to remove the guy’s name within minutes.
https://twitter.com/reidreporterguy/status/1137020745727524864/
It’s tempting to buy the school’s argument that they’re not a political actor in all this and that they really had perfectly apolitical issues with Culverhouse. But then you look at exactly who’s on the University of Alabama Board of Trustees. Kay Ivey, the governor behind this law, is president ex-officio. You know she’s been talking to these folks. It’s a political body — it’s explicitly responsible to the state government.
So now the school’s giving up over $20 million to own the libs. This is where boycotts break down. When the party on the other end just doesn’t care about money, there’s not much a boycott can really do.
UA trustees return $21.5 million donation, rename law school [Al.com]
Earlier: Donor Tells Students Not To Go To Law School Bearing His Name
Joe Patrice is a senior editor at Above the Law and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. Feel free to email any tips, questions, or comments. Follow him on Twitter if you’re interested in law, politics, and a healthy dose of college sports news. Joe also serves as a Managing Director at RPN Executive Search.