Alumna Trustees Sue Mills For Information They Need to Help Decide the College’s Future 

AAMC and Mills College File with Alameda County Superior Court to Dismiss Lawsuits Without Prejudice

 

The AAMC and the College have agreed to a mutual dismissal of their respective lawsuits. The litigation will be concluded upon review and entry of the dismissal order by the assigned judge. Conversations about the future between the AAMC and the College will begin the week of January 17, 2022.

For many years, the AAMC has been dependent on the College for its infrastructure. As the merger proceeds, we are working towards a more independent infrastructure. This includes both staffing and technology. While the nature of our future working relationship with Mills College at Northeastern University remains to be seen, the AAMC Board of Governors is negotiating with Mills College to reaffirm our access to the Reinhardt Alumnae House and the database of alumnae originally created by the AAMC, which was later assumed by the College. 

For more information on the chronology and conclusion of the AAMC’s lawsuit, as well as a presentation by members who had petitioned for the lawsuit’s end, we invite you to attend a Special Town Hall on Tuesday, February 8, at 5:30 PM via Zoom. Please register and submit any questions in advance to aamc@mills.edu with the subject line “Special Town Hall Question.” A synopsis and FAQ page will be created afterward and will be available on this website.

Alumnae Survey About Legal Action

The AAMC conducted a survey July 6-13, 2021 asking for alums if they want the AAMC to pursue legal action against Mills. The College prevented AAMC from sending this survey to our shared alumnae list, so the AAMC re-created a mailing list of about 4,000 alumnae and posted the survey to social media asking for alum participation and input. We received 755 responses, and 83% of respondents say they want the AAMC to pursue legal action.

Legal Complaint Filed June 7, 2021

Amended Complaint Filed on August 16, 2021

Representatives of the AAMC who serve on the Mills College Board of Trustees filed a lawsuit on June 7 to gain access to information they need to make informed decisions regarding the future of Mills College. They allege that Mills leaders have denied them information that the College's bylaws give them the right to inspect.

On August 16, 2021, an amended complaint was also filed adding the AAMC as a plaintiff to the suit.

Plaintiff Filings for August 16, 2021 Hearing

On August 16, 2021, an amended complaint was also filed adding the AAMC as a plaintiff to the suit.

Plaintiff Filings for Sep 9th Hearing, September 3, 2021

Defendant Response, September 8, 2021

18 Trustees submitted individual declarations stating they have enough information to vote on the Northeastern deal

 

Court Ruling, September 13, 2021

An Alameda County Superior Court judge ruled to compel Mills College to provide Dr. Nakka-Cammauf with the missing 2021 College Financials that were provided to Northeastern University during negotiations but were not made available to the Board of Trustees. The Court, however, ended the temporary restraining order, which then allowed Mills College Trustees to vote on partnership with Northeastern University.

Mills College Trustees voted on and approved the deal with Northeastern University on Tuesday, September 14, 2021.

Plaintiffs’ Opposition to Demurrer to First Amended Complaint
October 5, 2021

Joint Stipulation and Proposed Order of Dismissal Without Prejudice
January 11, 2022