Robertson suit against university set for next stage

Superior Court judge to consider motions in late November

By: Hilary Parker
   The lawsuit filed in 2002 by the Robertson family against Princeton University for the alleged misuse of the Robertson Foundation endowment will move forward Nov. 28 and 29 when Superior Court Judge Neil H. Shuster will consider a number of motions filed by both sides for summary judgment.
   The endowment, established by Charles S. and Marie H. Robertson in 1961, has grown from its original value of $35 million to a present value of over $650 million.
   The Robertsons are seeking to take the entire endowment away from the university, claiming that more than $200 million in funds were misused. They contend Princeton did not use the funds in keeping with the foundation’s mission to promote graduate students in the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs to enter careers in public service. The university has countered that all funds have been used in keeping with the originally stipulated mission of the foundation.
   The issues in the filings to be considered for summary judgment, among others, include whether Princeton University is and will continue to be the sole beneficiary of the Robertson Foundation, and if the university has a fiduciary obligation to the foundation.
   "My client is delighted that the court is finally going to hear these motions and we anticipate that the plaintiffs will be entirely successful and we hope that we will proceed to trial in short order," said Seth Lapidow, an attorney for the Robertson family.
   "The defendant’s position ranges from without merit to the ridiculous," he said, predicting "that the court will view the case as the plaintiffs have briefed it."
   The university is similarly convinced of the strength of its case.
   "We believe that for four years we have seen wasteful litigation and efforts by the plaintiffs in this case, William Robertson and his lawyers, to harm the university and to discredit the university leadership," said Princeton spokeswoman Cass Cliatt. "We are confident in the merits of our case and we look forward to having an opportunity to present the case in court."