Assuming the facts of this case are as Jim Douglas described, and Mr. Mead made a charitable contribution that paid for 80% of the chapel’s building costs with the written understanding that it was to be a memorial to his ancestors, then Middlebury College has no ethical right to change the name of the chapel.
That Mr. Mead subsequently exercised his First Amendment right to proclaim reprehensible views is unrelated to a previous gift agreement between the charity and the donor.
Instead, the college leadership can exercise its First Amendment right by placing educational signage in the chapel that explains the meaning of the chapel’s name and states the college’s rejection of Mr. Mead’s later statements.
Sally Holland
Middlebury