Top law enforcement officials in 24 states have warned Brown University of financial penalties if the school's trustees vote for a proposal calling for divestment from companies with close ties to Israel.
Some states have begun reviewing pension investments and contracts “to determine whether Brown has already violated state law” after agreeing to allow the vote in October, the attorneys general of Arkansas, Florida, Texas and other states told university trustees in a statement. letter Monday. Approval of the measure would have “immediate and serious legal consequences,” they said.
“Passing this proposal could require our states — and others — to terminate any existing relationships with Brown and those associated with it, divest any university debt held by state pension plans and other investment vehicles, and otherwise refrain from engaging with Brown,” said a group of Republican attorneys general led by Tim Griffin of Arkansas.
The warning underscores the stakes for the Ivy League school, which agreed to consider demands from pro-Palestinian student activists as part of a deal to clear a protest camp earlier this year. While school officials have opposed politicizing the management of Brown’s more than $6 billion endowment, the university has said it will review the proposal after a committee makes a recommendation by the end of September.
Brown declined to comment.
Colleges across the U.S. have been rattled since Hamas’ deadly attack on Israel on Oct. 7 and the Jewish state’s retaliation in Gaza. Three Ivy League presidents have resigned, and universities have faced accusations of tolerating anti-Semitism. Several have also been accused of suppressing pro-Palestinian student speech and criticized for sending police to disperse protesters.
The vote at Brown is scheduled for an October meeting of the 54-member board of trustees, which is chaired by CEO Brian Moynihan. Bank of America Corporation
Ben and Jerry
While the extent of the 24 states' financial ties to Brown is unclear, their willingness to use their financial power dates back to a high-profile dispute involving Unilever Plc and its ice cream brand Ben & Jerry's.
In 2021, a group of attorneys general took on the consumer goods company over Ben & Jerry's refusal to sell ice cream in the West Bank. Under pressure, as states including New York announced plans to sell Unilever shares in their public pension funds, the company eventually called off its boycott.
The controversy could be an important example for Brown, said David Webber, a Boston University law professor who advised the campaign to end the Ben & Jerry's boycott in Israel.
“It shows that these attorneys general are not bluffing,” Webber said. “I honestly think they would welcome a high-profile fight with Brown.”
One potential lever of pressure for government officials is Brown. Selection programhistory and current events curriculum that the school says is offered in all 50 states and serves 1 million students worldwide.
An initiative of Brown University's history department, the program is sold to school districts and used in professional development workshops. contract For example, between the university and the Milwaukee public school system, the rate is nearly $3,000 per month.
The Choice program plans to present its curriculum in October at conference in Georgia, one of the states that signed a letter to Brown this week.
Many university administrators and legislators have for years rejected the so-called Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel, viewing it as anti-Semitic because it questions the legitimacy of the Jewish state and singles out one country's policies.
A number of U.S. states have passed laws prohibiting discrimination against Israel. In Arkansas, for example, the state cannot enter into contracts worth more than $1,000 with a company unless the contract includes a written statement that the person or company will not boycott Israel — a law that has been upheld by a federal appeals court.
Rhode Island, where Brown is based, has its own anti-BDS law. But it would not apply to Brown because it is a private university and does not receive enough public money to be effective, said Mia Ackerman, the state legislator who introduced the bill. She said she plans to explore legislation that would cover private organizations.
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