Virginia Attorney General on Sweet Briar Suit

Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring has filed court papers challenging the right of a county attorney to sue to block the closure of Sweet Briar College, The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported. The county attorney's suit cheered alumnae who have questioned the board's actions. But Herring said that it is the state that has oversight, not a county. Further, he suggested that the board of Sweet Briar has a right to close, provided it seeks permission from the state and that his office can make sure that "Sweet Briar's assets are used in a way that is in the public interest and as close as possible to the donation's original purpose."