Middlebury chapel lawsuit moves forward

MIDDLEBURY — The lawsuit filed by former Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas challenging Middlebury College officials’ 2021 decision to rename the former Mead Memorial Chapel will move forward now that a judge has denied the college’s motion to dismiss the complaint. A defense motion filed by the college’s counsel in April disputed Douglas’s claim that removing the name “Mead” from the historic structure broke an agreement between the institution and the man who funded construction of the building, former Gov. John Ab … (read more)

Middlebury College is asking that a judge dismiss a lawsuit brought against the institution earlier this year by former Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas, who in March sued the college for its decision to change the name of the former Mead Memorial Chapel. 

Dave Silberman’s personal attack on Jim Douglas seems as ill-informed as it was manifestly uncivil.

This is our history! So why are we trying to hide our past? Whether we like it or not it plays a role in the development of our state.

His lawsuit is a farce and an abuse of our court system’s limited resources.

Slavery, racism and other public issues are viewed very differently by the public today than in past times when they were overwhelmingly accepted and were unobjectionable under then-existing laws.

If Middlebury College’s action to remove Mead’s name from Mead Chapel were founded on more than terror of the Woke Pandemic, they would tear down Mead Chapel and return the original contribution, plus interest, to the benefactor’s heirs.

It seems irrelevant (contrary to what Gov. Douglas suggests) that the Legislature put eugenic laws into effect 19 years after Mead made his very public statements in support of these evil ideas — and that therefore there is no proven connection between th … (read more)

Former Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas is suing the college for its 2021 decision to change the name of the historic structure, formerly known as Mead Memorial Chapel.