Former Princeton Borough Mayor Among New Plaintiffs in Tax Exemption Lawsuit Against University

Princeton, NJ -- Former Princeton Borough Mayor Yina Moore is among 24 residents who recently joined a lawsuit challenging the tax exempt status of Princeton University as plaintiffs, Planet Princeton reports.

The total number of residents now involved in the lawsuit is 28.

The new plaintiffs are all residents of the Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood. Molina said the tax situation really impacts residents of the oldest African American neighborhood in Princeton, where some of the town’s longest standing property owners live, according to the report. Molina is an alumnus of the University.

The neighborhood was home to Princeton’s African-American community at a time when businesses, houses of worship and educational institutions were all segregated. The town has considered historic designation for the neighborhood.

The lawsuit challenges the tax-exempt status of some of the University’s buildings that are used for commercial use, such as eateries.

The University is also being accused of acting like a for-profit institution, including holding a licensing agreement for a chemotherapy drug.

Initially, four residents, being represented by attorney Bruce Afran, challenged the University's tax exempt status.