The Board of Trustees of Princeton University, as fiduciary of a non-profit educational institution, is bound by the laws of New Jersey to promote the well-being of Princeton’s students and community and to further the University’s commitment to educational excellence. Princeton’s informal motto is “In the Nation’s Service and the Service of Humanity,” and the University has recognized that “[t]he value of service is central to the mission of Princeton as a liberal arts university. It infuses the passions and pursuits of our students, faculty, staff and alumni, and is essential to how Princetonians serve the public good.”

Under the New Jersey Uniform Prudent Management of Institutional Funds Act, the Board of Trustees has a fiduciary duty to invest with consideration for the University’s charitable purposes — a duty that distinguishes non-profit institutions from other investors. It may be problematic, then, that the Board of Trustees has invested a portion of the University’s $37.7 billion endowment in the fossil fuel industry — damaging the world’s natural systems, disproportionately harming youth, low-income people, and communities of color, and imperiling the University’s financial and physical condition. In the midst of the climate crisis, powerful institutions must take responsibility for their contributions to global warming. As concerned students, faculty, alumni, political leaders, civic groups, and community members, we ask that you investigate this conduct and use your enforcement powers to bring the Board’s investment practices into compliance with its fiduciary obligations.

For more information and to read the full complaint visit: https://www.divestprinceton.com/legalcomplaint

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