Virginia Case Raises Question of Private Enforcement of Charitable Trust Terms

A case pending in the Virginia Supreme Court may have an important impact on religious institutions in that state. Today's Lynchburg (VA) News-Advance reports that the case (which involves the use of donations to the former Randolph-Macon Women's College) raises the question of whether only the state's Attorney General can enforce the terms of a charitable trust, or whether private parties can also do so. A brief filed Monday by state Attorney General Robert McDonnell argues that private parties with a sufficient interest should be permitted to pursue enforcement of the terms of a charitable trust.