Braun: 'Overwhelming' response led to recent IU trustees decision

INDIANAPOLIS -- Indiana Gov. Mike Braun said there was an "overwhelming" response of individuals who wanted to become a trustee at Indiana University, something that led him to make his appointment decisions on Monday.




According to previous reports, Braun named the following individuals to the IU Board of Trustees on Monday:

• W. Quinn Buckner, chair of the Board of Trustees, effective immediately until term expires on June 30, 2026





• James Bopp Jr., an attorney, effective immediately until term expires on June 30, 2028





• Brian Eagle, an attorney, effective immediately until term expires on June 30, 2027





• Sage Steele, a sports broadcaster, effective immediately until term expires on June 30, 2028

Buckner is the only member of the group who was previously a part of the IU Board of Trustees. The information for three members of the board, including Jill Burnett, Donna Spears and Vivian Watson, was taken off the board's website and was replaced with Bopp, Eagle and Steele.








This comes after Braun received full control of who makes up IU's Board of Trustees in a last-minute addition to the state's budget bill that passed earlier this year, allowing the governor to remove and replace any members of the board at any time.




Braun initially said that he was not going to remove the trustees that were elected by alumni. However, Braun told reporters on Tuesday that the "overwhelming response" led to his decision.




"With that kind of enthusiasm and the fact that it really didn't make a lot of difference one way or the other, (I) did make the decision to go ahead and do it," Braun said.




One of Braun's picks to fill a spot on the board was Bopp, an attorney who graduated from Indiana University. According to previous reports, Bopp represented eight Indiana University students in a lawsuit in 2021 surrounding the university's COVID-19 vaccine policy, and has represented the National Right to Life organization.








When asked about the decision for Bopp to join the board, Braun said that he's going to be "respectful of the First Amendment."




"It's making it clear that it ought to be a place where all views are listened to and you don't try to squelch anything based upon what your point of view might be," Braun said regarding the selection of Bopp. "He is emblematic that the First Amendment makes sense, and he's a guy that's been for it through thick and thin."




Braun said that he selected Buckner to continue his role on the board because he is "aligned with" IU President Pamela Whitten. Braun said he believes that Whitten is the right leader for Indiana University.




"Quinn, to me was someone that, I think, was aligned with President Whitten, wanting to do some things to take Indiana into a place that I think needs a little sprucing up across the board," Braun said.








In a statement from Whitten provided on Monday, she said that she is looking forward to working with the new trustees.




"(Each of the new trustees) has a deep love for IU and shares our vision for putting students first, advancing groundbreaking research and serving our state," the statement read.




On Tuesday, Spears, one of the members of the IU Board of Trustees who was removed from her position, said in a statement provided to FOX59/CBS4 that for more than 130 years, university graduates have "played a key role in the governance of the university through the election of three trustees."




"Without the benefit of public discussion or debate, that tradition was voided in the recently concluded legislative session," Spears said. "The unceremonious way in which I and other members were removed notwithstanding, the university is strong and vibrant and will continue to thrive. Now is the time for alumni to become more actively engaged in the life of the university."




According to previous reports, this addition to the state's budget brought forward a lawsuit by an alumnus of the university, one that claims that the new rules are unconstitutional under state law. The lawsuit claims that the addition to the budget bill was "special legislation" that targets Indiana University and does not apply to the other four-year universities in the state.





via: https://fox59.com/indianapolitics/braun-overwhelming-response-led-to-recent-iu-trustees-decision/