Students Demand Change in Law School's Name to Delete Reference to Donor Who Used N-Word in Board Meeting

Last Friday, I blogged the growing trend of law schools selling their name to big donors.  Recent events surrounding the Roger Williams University -- Ralph R. Papitto School of Law highlight the inherent dangers in this practice.  Students are calling for the removal of Mr. Papitto's name from the law school following his resignation from the university's board of trustees for his use of the N-word during a board discussion of diversity.

• Letter from Mr. Papitto
• Board Turmoil at Roger Williams U. Over Chairman's Racial Slur (Chronicle of Higher Education)
• Former Roger Williams Trustee Says Chairman Forced Out After Slur (Boston Globe)
• Papitto Says Racial Slur "Just Slipped Out" (Providence Journal)
• Roger Williams Law Students Seek Removal of Papitto's Name (EastBayRI.com)
• Roger Williams U. President Says "Out of Sync" Board to Be Phased Out (Chronicle of Higher Education)
• RWU Chairman Papitto Assailed Over Racial Epithet (Providence Journal)
• University Benefactor and Board Chairman Uses N-word (CNN)

Although press reports indicate that Mr. Papitto has donated $7 million to the law school through the years, A Brief History of Law School Names, 56 J. Legal Educ. 388, 397 (2006), says that Roger Williams named the law school after Mr. Papitto in recognition of his work as Chairman of the Board of Trustees in launching the school, not for his financial contributions to the school.