Westminster Foundation Opposes Selling Or Moving Choir College

The Westminster Foundation has come out against any attempt by Rider University to sell the Westminster Choir College, move the Princeton campus to the Lawrenceville campus or “ take any other action that could further harm the college’s future.”

Ahead of meetings scheduled for Rider next week, the Westminster Foundation said speculation has emerged that Rider will attempt to return the college to Lawrenceville. Foundation President Constance Fee said there are no adequate facilities to “ support the world class training of this iconic conservatory” at Rider’s campus.

Fee recently wrote an open letter to the Rider University Board of Trustees in which she said the Westminster Foundation would consider ending its litigation if Rider committed to a “proper and responsible operation of the Choir College.” She said she received no response.

“Any continued effort to sell the school or the campus would result in a move in court to separate Westminster from Rider University, and transfer the Choir College to an independent board or appoint a special master to secure a new charitable steward for the Choir College,” Fee said.

"Discussions regarding the future of Westminster Choir College are continuing," Rider spokesperson Kristine Brown said. "We have no additional information to share at this time, but will do so as soon as we are able."

On Friday, Foundation attorney Bruce Afran said that unless Rider brings an end to the sale process the lawsuits will expand with tenured faculty joining as plaintiffs.

“I have been retained by tenured faculty at both Rider and Westminster to file suit on their behalf to block Rider University’s continued damage to this vaunted music college,” Afran said. “We will move to block any effort by Rider University to move Westminster Choir College and sell the endowed campus that has served the needs of the musical world for over 80 years. The state-of-the-art Cullen Center and Westminster's many other specialized facilities cannot be replaced at Rider's Lawrenceville campus and a move of the Choir College will severely damage this institution.”

The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office has raised some questions about the sale of the choir college to Kaiwen Education for $40 million.

At the time, Rider said Kaiwen committed to operating Westminster at the current Princeton campus for no less than 10 years. Read more here: Rider Agrees To Sell Westminster Choir College

However, the Westminster Foundation claim a stipulation in the contract circumvents that commitment. The portion it points to stipulates that Kaiwen may decide to discontinue those programs or close the college altogether if it determines in good faith that keeping the college open would "be substantially impracticable, economically infeasible or would substantially adversely affect WCC, its business, operations" and or Kaiwen.

Read more here: Group Claims Rider Deceived Public On Choir College Sale

Questions from the Attorney General centered around the reasoning for the sale, how the sides arrived at the price, Rider's efforts to sell the college to another education institution, why Rider would sell to a newly incorporated non-profit entity in New Jersey and steps Rider took to ensure Kaiwen would continue Westminster's educational traditions and curriculum, among others.

The attorney general's office also questioned what Rider would do with the money it makes off the sale and how the sale is in the best interests of the students and faculty. Read more here: State Raises Concerns Over Rider’s Sale Of Choir College

"It is clear from the Attorney General's preliminary report filed with the Superior Court that the Chinese buyer cannot meet New Jersey's strict requirements for the sale of a non-profit college and that the sale to Kaiwen, a China-government affiliate, will never take place," Fee said.

See related:
Rider Could Lose Millions On Westminster Sale, Report Says
Union Challenges Layoffs After Sale Of Westminster Choir College
Rider's Sale Of Choir College Delayed: Report