PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A University of Pennsylvania donor is suing the school’s trustees, accusing them of awarding business school scholarship money to student-athletes instead.
Lawyers for alumnus Saul B. Rosenthal said the university breached agreements to put $168,000 in donations toward scholarships for entrepreneurship and finance students at Wharton.
The lawsuit claims at least two student-athletes were awarded the scholarship money even though they did not meet the criteria.
Lawyers for Rosenthal said one student “candidly admitted” she received the scholarship as a substitute for an athletic scholarship, which Penn is unable to award as an Ivy League university.
The filing says at least one Wharton student met the scholarship criteria and needed financial assistance, but instead, the money was given to a track and field athlete and a soccer athlete.
The lawsuit alleges that when Rosenthal complained in the past, Penn temporarily changed its practices for a while before again breaching the agreement.
Rosenthal is asking to be repaid in the amount donated and in lawyers’ fees, and he does not want his name to be associated with Penn any longer.
A Penn spokesperson told KYW Newsradio the university cannot comment on pending litigation.