Boise State University is in trouble. The most well-known college in Idaho is once again in the headlines, and they're not good headlines.

It's never a good thing when you're about to be sued, or someone is contemplating suing you. The Idaho Press has the exclusive on Big City Coffee filing a tort claim against Boise State University seeking $10 million in damages.

(Is a tort a lawsuit? According to Michael Wask, a tort claim is filed when a party is seeking damages against another party. The other party will seek to settle or go to court, which then becomes a lawsuit. You can see the entire page here.)

The Idaho Press has a compelling excerpt from the tort here: 

The tort claim, which has a section describing "diversity and inclusivity" efforts at BSU, suggests the university promotes an "extreme social justice agenda" and that BSU President Marlene Tromp is "fully committed to the social justice movement."

Remember, this is one side of the story; Boise State would be wise to settle this tort immediately. I'm surprised that the tort was filed to begin within this case. If the plaintiff's attorney contacted Boise State Legal, then why did they not settle this dispute out of the public eye?  

There is no win for BSU to allow this issue to go to court. If it goes to court, the entire world will be able to see and read what actually occurs at the Boise Campus.  

Doctor Tromp's leadership over this issue should be and will continue to be called into question. No one likes to be the subject of a legal claim. Lousy publicity hurts fundraising. How many will BSU alumni want to donate to a university that is accused of running out of a coffee shop that was respectful of the local police? A coffee shop co-owned by a heroic police officer who almost died in the line of duty? Once again, there is no win here for Boise State.  

The following is description of Big City from the their web site:

Big City is simply a labor of love. Our humble roots began 14 years ago in a small shop in West Boise, before moving to the Linen District in 2006. Since our opening, we have been happily brewing coffee, baking pastries, and serving farm-inspired breakfast and lunch all day, 7 days a week!

Big City is so much more than your typical cookie-cutter coffee shop. We specialize in old-fashioned treats with a twist... Apple pie? Why not try it in a scone? Like Mexican chocolate mochas? Try one of our Mexican Chocolate Shortbread Cookies!

Come see for yourself why we've become a beloved spot in Boise!

After reading that description, who would have a problem with their mission?  It's the equivalent of not condemning Sesame Street.  You can't help but root for this underdog local coffee shop.

Over the years, Boise State has continued towards a progressive direction. US Attorney General Jeff Sessions called out the Blue several years ago for their efforts to squash conservatives on campus. The university suspended and then unsuspended a university foundations course over allegations of students being harassed for their beliefs. Did the 'suspension' last for a week?  (You can read our coverage of that story here.)

Boise State announced that they hired an outside law firm to investigate those harassment allegations? What did the firm find out, or has the investigation ended quicker than the canceled baseball team before it could complete a season?  

Last night's loss to the Memphis Tigers is a closer contest than what we see now from Boise State. Let's go over the scorecard:

  • Boise State budget cut by $400,000 by the state legislature, university foundations class suspended/unsuspended.
  • A legal investigation funded by Boise State investigating itself, firing football chaplain.
  • Football coach leaves for a bigger payday, loss of sports due to Covid, loss of revenue due to Covid, and now the $10 million tort claim.
  • Arrest of Terry Wilson former BSU Professor accused of vandalizing the Lincoln Statue.

A public university should reflect the values of the people of the state who support it. Boise State must now decide if they'll represent Boise or Berkeley.  

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