At its March meeting the board of trustees changed the college bylaws to extend legal protection to members of committees making decisions for which they might later be sued. As amended, the bylaws indemnify "any officer, employee, trustee or student . . . who serves at the request of the College on any committee, board, panel or other body" investigating alleged violations of college regulations or imposing penalties for such violations. Before, the bylaws indemnfied only trustees, certain college administrators, and a limited category of consultants. Indemnification applies only to people who "acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in . . . the best interests of the College."
The amendment means, according to college attorney John Keyse-Walker, that the college will pay various expenses associated with litigation or threat of litigation--such as attorneys fees or depositions--incurred by committee members as a result of committee action. In some cases college insurance policies will cover college expenses.
"These are litigious times," says trustee Amy Gittler, an attorney. "At colleges around the country, people doing their civic duty as members of the community have been subject to suit. The trustees wanted to be sure that people at Oberlin would continue to serve the college in the variety of capacities in which they are often needed."
