April5,2016

Mr.G.GilmerMinorIII
StateCouncilofHigherEducationforVirginia
101N.14thStreet,10thFloor
JamesMonroeBuilding
Richmond,VA23219
Re:

RenamingofGeorgeMasonSchoolofLaw

DearChairmanMinor:

Wearewritingtoyoutoexpressoursurpriseandconcernsaboutthequickandquietproposed
decisiontorenametheGeorgeMasonUniversitySchoolofLawandencourageyoutorejectthis
proposal.

First,GeorgeMasonwasagreatVirginian.GrowingupinFairfaxCounty,hewasaconfidantof
GeorgeWashingtonandaleadingAmericanlegalthinker.HeauthoredtheVirginiaDeclarationofRights
whichwaswrittenandadoptedinJuneof1776,thirteenyearsbeforetheUnitedStatesBillofRights
anditremainsasArticleIoftheConstitutionofVirginia.FewVirginianshavemadeagreaterimpact
upontheAmericanlegalsystemthanGeorgeMason.Removinghisnamefromthisstatesupportedlaw
schoolinfavorofanonVirginianisaslapinthefacetoourCommonwealthshistory,values,androlein
thefoundingofournation.
Second,thisdecisionwasmadewithoutinputfromorconsultationwithlawschoolsfaculty,
students,alumniorothermajordonors.TheGeorgeMasonUniversitySchoolofLawisapublic
institutionandassuch,thepublicexpectstransparencyinmajordecisionsrelatingpublicassets.The
students,alumni,facultyandVirginiataxpayerdeservedtohaveinputonthisproposalbeforeitwas
acceptednotafterwards.
PleaserememberthattheGeorgeMasonUniversitySchoolofLawsstudentsandalumni,
eachhaveindividuallyinvestedover$100,000oftuition,fees,andlivingexpensesintotheirdegrees.
Alongwithalumnidonations,thiscollectivelyamountstohundredsofmillionsofdollarsof
investmentsintheGeorgeMasonSchoolofLawalongwithhundredsofmillionsofdollarsfrom
VirginiataxpayersthathelpedmaketheGeorgeMasonUniversitySchoolofLawwhatitistoday.
TheseinvestmentsdwarftheproposedcontributionsoftheKochFoundationandtheAnonymous
donorandwereeffectivelysteamrolledbytheGeorgeMasonUniversityBoardofVisitors.
Third,althoughJusticeAntoninScaliawasconsideredtobeahighlyregardedjuristbysome
conservativethinktanks,hewasalsooneofthemostcontroversialjusticesinmodernhistory.His

statementsabouttheLGBTandNewAmericancommunitieswerenotrepresentativeofthehighest
idealsofourcommunityorourCommonwealth.Indeed,wehavereceivedpleasfromalumniwhoare
deeplyconcernedthatthisdecisionwillunderminetheirabilitytofindfutureemploymentorundermine
theirprofessionalreputationgiventhemarkthiswillplaceupontheschool.

Fourth,iftheschoolisrenamed,itwillseverelyunderminethelawschoolsabilitytoattracttop
legaltalent.Wehavealreadyreceivedemailsfromstudentswhowouldneverhaveappliedifthislaw
schoolhadcarriedthisnameandnowitistoolateforthemtotransfertoaschoolwheretheywould
feelmorecomfortable.GeorgeMasonsVirginiaDeclarationofRightsrepresentswidelyaccepted
fundamentalVirginiaandAmericanvalues.JusticeScaliasviewsarehighlycontroversial.Heexpressed
openhostilitytolesbian,gay,andbisexualVirginiansanddisavowedeffortstoremedyVirginiasthree
centuriesofsubjugatingracialminorities.InDecember2015,JusticeScaliaevensuggestedAfrican
Americanstudentsshouldconsideraslowertrackschoolwheretheydowell.Manyminoritiesfound
thistobehighlyoffensive.Studentsandfacultywhodisagreewithhisviews,willnotapply,willnot
attend,andwillnotworkthere.Thiswilllimitseverelytheschoolsabilitytocompeteinthenational
marketforthebeststudentsandfaculty.
Fifth,theacceptanceofthesegrantsfromhighlyinterestedpartieswithallegiancetoaspecific
approachtothelawisantitheticaltothebasictenetofacademicindependenceandintegrity.Isthis
namingacommitmentbytheinstitutiontoteachthelawaccordingtotheviewsandapproachofthis
particular,highlycontroversialjurist?Whatsafeguardswerediscussedtoavoidtheimpressionthatthis
isthecase?ItisobvioustousthatthissuddenmoveundertakensosoonaftertheJusticesuntimely
passingisalsoinappropriate.JusticeScaliasplaceinlegalhistorywillnotbeknownforyears,ifnot
decades,tocome.Weshouldnotbepartiestothelegaladvocacyofhighlypartisandonorstoachieve
specificideologicaloutcomes.
Sixth,theacceptanceofa$20millionanonymousdonationwithstringsattachedisdisturbing.
Publicuniversitiesdonotoperateintheshadowsofsecretmoneyandexecutivesessions.Whilethis
kindofpracticemightbeacceptableintheprivatesectororwithaprivateschool,itisnothowVirginias
publicinstitutionsareexpectedtooperate.Finally,itisnotclearthatthisdecisionisproperlybefore
SCHEVbecauseofnoncompliancewiththeVirginiaFreedomofInformationAct(FOIA)fortworeasons:
(1)weareatalossinunderstandingthelegalityofwhatappearstobeabackroomdealofacceptinga
$20milliondollargift,withoutprovidinganyonewiththeidentityorbackgroundofthebenefactor,and
(2)whiledonorstrategiesareexempt,therenamingofaschoolisadifferentissueandpublicnotice
hasneverbeengivenoftheproposaltorenameincompliancewithFOIA.
Finally,whileGeorgeMasonUniversitybelievesthatthenamesofdonorscanbewithheldunder
2.23705.4(7),theCodedoesnotexemptdonoridentities.Itonlyexemptsdonorstrategies.The
originalproposeddraftofSB130in2008exempteddonoridentity,buttheadoptedstatutespecifically
didnotdoso.WearealsounawareofanyprovisioninFOIAwhichexemptstheBoardofVisitorsfrom
therequirementtogivepublicnoticeofadecisiontorenameaschool.Infact,theideathattheGeorge
MasonUniversityitselfcouldberenamedwithoutanynoticetothepublicispreposterous.


WeaskthattheStateCouncilofHigherEducationrejectthisdecisionandasktheGeorgeMason
UniversityBoardofVisitorstofindanotherpathwaytofacilitatethegenerosityofthetwodonorswho
wantedtohonorJusticeScaliaslegacy.Namingofthebuilding,butnottheschool,forexample,isa
moretraditionalpathtohonoringgenerosityofdonors.

PleaseforwardthislettertoallmembersoftheCouncilandletusknowyourposition.

DelegateMarcusSimon
53rdDistrict

SenatorScottA.Surovell
36thDistrict

DelegateAlfonsoLopez
49thDistrict

SenatorJenniferT.Wexton
33rdDistrict

SenatorJanetD.Howell
32ndDistrict

DelegateJohnJ.Bell
87thDistrict

SenatorDavidW.Marsden
37thDistrict

DelegatePatrickHope
47thDistrict

DelegateKenPlum
36thDistrict

DelegateMarkLevine
45thDistrict

DelegateKayeKory
38thDistrict

cc:

GovernorTerenceR.McAuliffe
SecretaryAnneHolton,SecretaryofEducation
Dr.AngelCabrera,President,GeorgeMasonUniversity
Hon.ThomasM.Davis,Rector,GeorgeMasonUniversity
DeanHenryN.Butler,GeorgeMasonUniversitySchoolofLaw