Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1974 [PAGE 584]

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574

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

[May 15

including damages and reasonable attorney fees. In addition to the University, the Petition names as defendants three University employees, being D. S. Rubenstein, the University Director of Noiiacademic Personnel; William G. Mays, Superintendent of Operations of the Physical Plant in Chicago; and James P. Walsh, Personnel Officer. The individual defendants have requested the University to provide representation for them in their defense of the suit on the ground that all actions taken by them in the matter were taken in their respective capacities as employees of the University, The University Counsel states that, in his opinion, the Petition for Mandamus is not well founded and recommends that he be authorized to take such steps as are necessary or appropriate, including the employment of special counsel, to protect the interests of the University and to provide representation of the individual defendants as requested. I concur. On motion of Mr. Swain, authority was given as recommended by the following vote: Aye, M r . H a h n , Mr. Howard, Mr. Hughes, Mr. Livingston, M r s . Rader, Mr, S w a i n ; no, none; absent, Dr. Bakalis, Mr. Forsyth, Mr. Neal, Mr. Steger, Governor Walker,

LITIGATION INSTITUTED BY RONALD WILLIAM STONE

(31) The University, the College of Veterinary Medicine, elected and ex officio members of the Board of Trustees, President John E. Corbally, Chancellor Jack W. Peltason, Dean L. Meyer Jones and Director Jane Loeb have been named as defendants in a suit filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County (Case No. 74 CH 2883) by Ronald William Stone, an unsuccessful applicant for admission to the College of Veterinary Medicine at the Urbana-Champaign campus, on his own behalf and on behalf of all other persons similarly situated. The Complaint alleges that Mr. Stone was denied admission to the College of Veterinary Medicine because improper preference was given to certain female students and to residents in farm or rural communities, because the method of academic evaluation of candidates for admission was changed without notice, and because the defendants practiced geographic discrimination in the form of "a quota system for candidates to the College from Cook County, Illinois." Further, it is alleged that Jhe defendants have not followed published statements that preference for admission would be given to residents of Illinois. The Complaint asks that the defendants be enjoined from admitting any first-year students to the College of Veterinary Medicine until the litigation is determined; that the list of students admitted to the College and on the alternate list for admission for the 19/4-75 term be declared null and void; that the defendants be enjoined from altering and/or destroying any records of application for admission to the College from 1971 on; that the Court appoint an impartial committee to review all applications for admission to the College and to select qualified students in accordance with the published procedures; and that the Court assess damages in the sum of $100,000, together with attorney fees and costs. Some of the individual defendants have requested the University to provide representation for them in their defense of the suit on the ground that all actions taken by them in the matter were taken in their respective capacities as members of the Board of Trustees or as employees of_the University. It is anticipated that similar requests will be received from other individual defendants. The University Counsel recommends that he be authorized to take such steps as are necessary or appropriate, including the employment of special counsel, to protect the interests of the University and to provide representation of the individual defendants who request him to do so. I concur.

On motion of Mr. Swain, authority was given as recommended by the following vote: Aye, Mr. Hahn, Mr. Howard, Mr. Hughes, Mr. Livingston, Mrs. Rader, Mr. Swain; no, none; absent, Dr. Bakalis, Mr, Forsyth, Mr, Neal, Mr. Steger, Governor Walker.