The monks of Saint Anselm College appeared in court this morning for the first hearing in their lawsuit against the college's board of trustees over the question of who has ultimate authority to amend the school's bylaws.
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Director of Charitable Trusts, Tom Donovan, has been granted a motion to intervene in this case. He says in addition to the court proceedings, outside mediation would also make sense.
"The dispute that's in front of the court about the bylaws is the tip of a larger concern that the board of directors seems to be having with the members as to the control of the direction of the college," Donovan says.
Donovan believes mediation could help resolve the dispute over who controls the college's Catholic identity, an issue that the court cannot rule on due to first amendment protections.
The Director of Charitable Trusts has not yet taken a position in this case.
