Dear Wesleyan Community,

As Wesleyan alum who care about climate justice, we feel compelled to address a disturbing issue that strikes at the heart of Wesleyan’s integrity and values. The Chair of Wesleyan’s Board of Trustees, John B. Frank, is a director of the Chevron Company, an oil supermajor directly responsible for the climate crisis. In fact, his Wesleyan credential is proudly displayed on the Chevron web site. As detailed in this report from grassroots watchdog Lil Sis:

“Chevron is one of the top all-time contributors to the global climate crisis… While Wesleyan touts its commitment to sustainability and has said it will divest from fossil fuels by 2030, its governing board is helmed by a fossil fuel profiteer who personally directs a big oil major and owns millions of dollars worth of oil stock. This puts Wesleyan in the position of de facto greenwashing, in a high level way, a key leader at one of the oil industry’s largest players.”

Big oil control of academia is dangerous and a page out of the fossil fuel industry’s misinformation handbook. It puts our academic integrity at risk while greenwashing an oil supermajor. Make no mistake, big oil companies put millions of dollars into “greenwashing” their public personas while making record profits and continuing to invest in fossil fuels.

Wesleyan University must reaffirm its core values and reject fossil fuel industry control. We invite all members of our Wesleyan family to join the conversation and take action. On October 7, the Wesleyan Democrats and allies will host a town hall where we can engage in meaningful dialogue about fossil fuel control of Wes. Please join us—your voice matters.

In addition to participating in the town hall, we urge everyone to sign onto this letter calling for the removal and/or resignation of John B. Frank from his role as Chair of the Board of Trustees, and for Wesleyan University to divest from fossil fuels. We also urge Mr. Frank to consider stepping down from Chevron. Let’s say no to Chevron’s control of Wes.

Raya Salter aka “Climate Auntie” (94) is ED of the Energy Justice Law and Policy Center; Amy Tai is with Sustaining All Life