Jennifer Kabbany

A judge recently ruled that a lawsuit may proceed against Yale University that challenges administrators’ decision to yank a pathway for alumni to gain leadership roles at the Ivy League institution.

Connecticut Superior Court Judge John Burns Farley ruled Dec. 15 against completely accepting Yale’s motion to dismiss, stating the plaintiffs, two Yale alumni, appear to have standing to sue as third-party beneficiaries of the institution.

The plaintiffs, Victor Ashe and Donald Glascoff, are working to overturn a May 2021 decision by Yale officials to discontinue a petition pathway that allowed alumni to be elected to the Yale Corporation, its board of trustees.

Ashe, 77, celebrated the ruling as a vital victory in the fight against his alma mater.

“It’s a giant step forward,” Ashe said in a telephone interview. “This will be the first time Yale will have to discuss issues on the merits in a court of law.”