I gave the University of Alabama $26.5 million. They gave it back when I spoke out about abortion.

[brooklynite]

Washington Post

Hugh F. Culverhouse Jr. is an alternative and real estate investor and lawyer who resides in Miami.

I am proud to have been born and raised in Alabama. My family’s roots run deep in the state and, for decades, we have been honored to celebrate that heritage by supporting the University of Alabama. It’s where my father learned to practice law, which gave him the tools to succeed in America along with a strong understanding of right and wrong. Over the past 30 years, we have chosen to repay that debt and make use of our good fortune by supporting the university financially. I’ve long believed that the school served the public good by training the next generation of leaders and, last year, I made the decision to donate $26.5 million so that those leaders could flourish just as my family has.

My love for Alabama is exactly why I was so horrified to watch its lawmakers trample over the Constitution last month. The ban on abortion they passed wasn’t just an attack against women, it was an affront to the rule of law itself. Part of being an American is engaging in public debate, and we can disagree over this issue. But the courts settled this matter a long time ago: Abortion is legal. So it was shocking to see legislators ignore this and pass a bill that turned women and health professionals into criminals, and it felt important to say so publicly.

I expected that speaking out would have consequences, but I never could have imagined the response from the University of Alabama, which on Friday said it would be returning my gift and removing my name from the law school. This decision will hurt future students. Less money will be available for scholarships, and there will be fewer resources for the school to use to educate young minds and help them grow.

[SWBTATTReg]

1. Takes work to keep the state ranked number 50 in just about every single negative ...

category there is. Why is this guy so surprised at his returned donation? I only wish that he think of other states that would gladly accept this gift...and help their students.

[Cosmocat]

4. Great response

Nm

[Bengus81]

2. Glad they did,now give it to a University who is forward thinking about womens rights......

If I were him I wouldn't want my money to go to those asshats at that University. Abortions will stop just like drinking stopped because of Prohibition.

Right...........

[DeminPennswoods]

3. If Alabama can afford to give back 26M,

they don't need state subsidies. I'd be on the phone to my state representatives telling them to cut state subsidies and give that money back to me as a tax cut!

[alagary]

5. UA emails show decision to return funds to Culverhouse preceded abortion comments

The University of Alabama planned to return Hugh Culverhouse Jr.'s donation and remove his name from the law school at least four days before Culverhouse called for a boycott of the school following the state’s passage of an abortion ban.

According to emails sent to AL.com, Finnis St. John, chancellor of UA System, suggested Culverhouse’s $21.5 million donation be returned on May 25, four days before Culverhouse spoke out about the abortion legislation. That followed a May 24 email request from Culverhouse that the University return $10 million.

The emails also showed Culverhouse’s interest in influencing student admissions, scholarships, faculty hiring and firing, and the employment status of the dean of the law school.

In the May 24 email from Culverhouse to University President Stuart Bell, Culverhouse asked for the return of $10 million because he was not happy with candidates for an endowed chair position in his name and Culverhouse demeaned the dean of the law school Mark Brandon as well as Bell.

[link:https://www.al.com/news/2019/06/ua-emails-show-decision-to-return-funds-to-culverhouse-preceded-abortion-comments.html|

[CurtEastPoint]

6. I posted this on FB and an AL friend just told me the same thing!

[Blue_Tires]

7. I understand wanting to give back, but

holy damn, did Alabama even need that money?

[Farmer-Rick]

9. Wait, wait what?...this is NOT capitalism

Giving back money? That is so anti-capitalism the school should have their accreditation removed.

How anti-capitalism are they going to get in Alabama?

[NoMoreRepugs]

10. Why do some of the countries finest African American

High school football players still go to Alabama to play? I have been saying for years that if you want motivation for these goober states to move into the 21st century socially someone needs to convince these kids to boycott the states that restrict their parents right to votes and their sisters reproductive freedom. Until you've lived in the South you can't conceive how important college football is to the populace.