War on Universities, Lawyers & Expertise

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It's extraordinarily telling that Trump thinks Burck has a conflict because he represents the Trump companies. The defendants in the Harvard suit are below. Would be good to know which of them are in legal privity with the Trump companies.

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES; NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH; ROBERT F. KENNEDY, JR., in his official capacity as Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services; UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OFJUSTICE; PAMELA J. BONDI, in her official capacity as Attorney General of the United States; UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION; LINDA M. MCMAHON, in her official capacity as Secretary of the United States Department of Education; UNITED STATES GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION; STEPHEN EHIKIAN, in his official capacity as Acting Administrator of the United States General Services Administration; UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY; CHRISTOPHER A. WRIGHT, in his official capacity as Secretary of the United States Department of Energy; UNITED STATES NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION; SETHURAMAN PANCHANATHAN, in his official capacity as Director of the United States National Science Foundation; UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE; PETER B. HEGSETH, in his official capacity as Secretary of the United States Department of Defense; NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION; and JANET E. PETRO, in her official capacity as Acting Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
 

The personal cellphones of dozens of current and former Barnard College employees pinged Monday evening with a text message that looked, at first, like a scam.

The text said it was from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, part of a review of the employment practices of Barnard. A link led to a survey that asked respondents if they were Jewish or Israeli, and if they had been subjected to harassment.

After faculty members asked Barnard administrators about the text, the college confirmed to them on Wednesday that the messages were authentic — part of a federal investigation into discrimination against Jewish employees that started last summer.

Serena Longley, Barnard’s general counsel, acknowledged in an email to the faculty members that Barnard had provided the commission with the personal contact information of staff members to give them the opportunity to participate. “Participation in the survey is voluntary,” she wrote.

The texts, which faculty members said appeared to have gone to nearly all Barnard staff members, appear to be part of an aggressive new tactic by the Trump administration to collect reports of alleged antisemitism at Barnard, a women’s college affiliated with Columbia University that has come under heavy criticism for pro-Palestinian demonstrations on its campus.
 
It's extraordinarily telling that Trump thinks Burck has a conflict because he represents the Trump companies. The defendants in the Harvard suit are below. Would be good to know which of them are in legal privity with the Trump companies.

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES; NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH; ROBERT F. KENNEDY, JR., in his official capacity as Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services; UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OFJUSTICE; PAMELA J. BONDI, in her official capacity as Attorney General of the United States; UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION; LINDA M. MCMAHON, in her official capacity as Secretary of the United States Department of Education; UNITED STATES GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION; STEPHEN EHIKIAN, in his official capacity as Acting Administrator of the United States General Services Administration; UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY; CHRISTOPHER A. WRIGHT, in his official capacity as Secretary of the United States Department of Energy; UNITED STATES NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION; SETHURAMAN PANCHANATHAN, in his official capacity as Director of the United States National Science Foundation; UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE; PETER B. HEGSETH, in his official capacity as Secretary of the United States Department of Defense; NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION; and JANET E. PETRO, in her official capacity as Acting Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Trump has always considered the Presidency, and indeed all the Federal government, to be an extension of his business interests. Nobody with any sense should be surprised.
 
Overwhelmingly LACs with little research funding at stake.
As for big/flagship public schools, Wisconsin-Madison is also there and might have taken a big risk given state level politics.
Have you found a list somewhere of federal funding received by college/university?
 
Have you found a list somewhere of federal funding received by college/university?
Not sure what you mean. I don’t have a go-to source but there are data out there for specific sources of funding (e.g. NIH, NSF, USDA). I’m not familiar with one that lumps everything together including student financial aid.
 
It's extraordinarily telling that Trump thinks Burck has a conflict because he represents the Trump companies. The defendants in the Harvard suit are below. Would be good to know which of them are in legal privity with the Trump companies.

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES; NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH; ROBERT F. KENNEDY, JR., in his official capacity as Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services; UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OFJUSTICE; PAMELA J. BONDI, in her official capacity as Attorney General of the United States; UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION; LINDA M. MCMAHON, in her official capacity as Secretary of the United States Department of Education; UNITED STATES GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION; STEPHEN EHIKIAN, in his official capacity as Acting Administrator of the United States General Services Administration; UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY; CHRISTOPHER A. WRIGHT, in his official capacity as Secretary of the United States Department of Energy; UNITED STATES NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION; SETHURAMAN PANCHANATHAN, in his official capacity as Director of the United States National Science Foundation; UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE; PETER B. HEGSETH, in his official capacity as Secretary of the United States Department of Defense; NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION; and JANET E. PETRO, in her official capacity as Acting Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration


As already noted, this representation of Harvard against the Federal Government while also doing work for Trump Org is not an actual conflict of interest, but I assume Burck knew full well this would be the outcome and made his choices accordingly…

 
It's extraordinarily telling that Trump thinks Burck has a conflict because he represents the Trump companies. The defendants in the Harvard suit are below. Would be good to know which of them are in legal privity with the Trump companies.
I have spent almost no time in my life thinking about conflicts.

But while Trump isn't a named defendant, that's not the standard is it? I mean, he's the named defendants' boss. I always thought the test was more capacious.

Wouldn't it be a conflict of interest to, say, represent the CEO of a company while also suing the company and its board (let's say the CEO wasn't hired yet when the indiscretion took place, and the CEO is not involved in the case in any way)?
 

Over 150 college presidents sign letter rebuking Trump administration 'overreach'​

Presidents from each Ivy League school — except for Dartmouth — signed onto the letter.


“… "As leaders of America’s colleges, universities, and scholarly societies, we speak with one voice against the unprecedented government overreach and political interference now endangering American higher education," the letter, orchestrated by the American Association of Colleges and Universities, says.

"We are open to constructive reform and do not oppose legitimate government oversight," the letter continues. "However, we must oppose undue government intrusion in the lives of those who learn, live, and work on our campuses."

"We will always seek effective and fair financial practices, but we must reject the coercive use of public research funding," it adds.

Harrison Fields, a White House spokesperson, said in an email that the administration is "standing up for equality and fairness and will not be swayed by worthless letters by overpaid blowhards." …”

Is UNC one of the 150 to sign on with this?
Reckon the ACC or the SEC will sign on as an entire conference, an entire United entity the way the Big Ten did?
 
I have spent almost no time in my life thinking about conflicts.

But while Trump isn't a named defendant, that's not the standard is it? I mean, he's the named defendants' boss. I always thought the test was more capacious.

Wouldn't it be a conflict of interest to, say, represent the CEO of a company while also suing the company and its board (let's say the CEO wasn't hired yet when the indiscretion took place, and the CEO is not involved in the case in any way)?
Sure. But that assumes Trump remains the CEO of the companies Burck is representing. Which begs the question.
 
Sure. But that assumes Trump remains the CEO of the companies Burck is representing. Which begs the question.
Well, OK. But as president, isn't he analogous to the CEO? Suing his subordinates doesn't seem that different from suing an officer at a corporation.

Maybe Burck didn't want the Trump Org job any more, and figured that this litigation -- while adverse to Trump -- was unrelated to his work for Trump Org and was fine?

I guess I'm not seeing it as so cut-and-dried, but again I don't know much about the specifics of this topic.
 
Is UNC one of the 150 to sign on with this?
Reckon the ACC or the SEC will sign on as an entire conference, an entire United entity the way the Big Ten did?
Don't know
But doubt it Lee roberts busy working on sports and raising flags
 
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Is UNC one of the 150 to sign on with this?
Reckon the ACC or the SEC will sign on as an entire conference, an entire United entity the way the Big Ten did?
Although several B10 presidents did sign it, it wasn’t all of them. There was a different agreement/statement that was drafted and signed by members of the conference.
 
Don't know
But doubt it Lee roberts busy working on sports and raising flags
I would imagine any UNC system president would be reluctant to sign it, as it might raise the ire of the NC GOP-controlled Trumper trustees and legislature. Not that it justifies such a refusal to sign, only that it would take some guts to do it, which seems in short supply among many leaders in different fields these days.
 
Although several B10 presidents did sign it, it wasn’t all of them. There was a different agreement/statement that was drafted and signed by members of the conference.
Yes, that is my understanding as well. The 150 was one thing, and I believe it came out first. Then a little later, the Big10 came out with another statement, but as a conference… separate and apart from the original 150 signing. But the fact is, they all did sign on as whole.

My question was 2-fold. Was UNC one of the original 150?
And secondly, does anyone think the ACC or the SEC will coalesce and sign off on a similar proclamation as what the B1G produced?
 
I would imagine any UNC system president would be reluctant to sign it, as it might raise the ire of the NC GOP-controlled Trumper trustees and legislature. Not that it justifies such a refusal to sign, only that it would take some guts to do it, which seems in short supply among many leaders in different fields these days.
My thinking as well. Coming out unilaterally would take some cajones, for obvious reasons you stated. But, (big but) what if UNC was part of an entire conference signing? Strength in numbers sort of thing. Perhaps UNC might consider that? I would hope so.

Or, maybe better yet, what if all 16 member institutions of the entire UNC system banded together for a formal declaration?
 
President Hans is not your man for the signing of anything like this. The Chancellors?

Obviously not shill Roberts -- who else is not either a puppet or fighting for their autonomy, funding, identity, or integrity?

State's got a new chancellor...barely a month in. ASU's only two months in (though was interim for a year). A&T, Central, and WS State all have chancellors less than a year in office as well. ECU's guy, Rogers, has been in since 2021 but he seems shaky to me. And on and on it goes...the system is weak overall.
 
Yes, that is my understanding as well. The 150 was one thing, and I believe it came out first. Then a little later, the Big10 came out with another statement, but as a conference… separate and apart from the original 150 signing. But the fact is, they all did sign on as whole.

My question was 2-fold. Was UNC one of the original 150?
And secondly, does anyone think the ACC or the SEC will coalesce and sign off on a similar proclamation as what the B1G produced?
I’m not sure which actually happened first. The Big Ten faculty/university senates voted to form an alliance to share resources and push back against the WH. Their chief executives (presidents/chancellors) have not all signed on.
The group of 150 or whatever it was has now grown to 468. UNC is still not on the list. Among the ACC, only duke, UVA, Wake, BC, and Berkeley have signed. Not a single SEC president/chancellor has signed, not even Diermeier (Vandy), which likely reflects the risks even private schools face from MAGA legislatures.
 
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