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Columbia University Asks Court to Exclude White-Only Provision from Trust

By Gerry W. Beyer

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Columbia University is seeking to modify the terms of ahighly restrictive trust that violates current anti-discrimination laws.

Under the terms of the 93-year-old Lydia C. Roberts GraduateFellowship, money should be given only to “a person of the Caucasian race” whowas born in Iowa and attended an Iowa college or university.  This fellowship also excludes the studentfrom studying in a number of fields, including law and medicine, and requiresthe student to move back to Iowa for at least two years following graduation.

Columbia is requesting that the State Supreme Court inManhattan exclude the whites-only provision and modify the Iowa-only rule inthe $840,000 trust.

See Columbia U. Seeksto Alter Whites-Only Bequest, Houston Chronicle, May 15, 2013.

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