Blake Farmer was at the Tennessee Court of Appeals Tuesday listening to proceedings in the Fisk University Stieglitz collection case. The judges and the Attorney General's Office are sympathetic to the school's financial woes, he said, but that won't get Fisk President Hazel O'Leary very far.

Senior Counsel Janet Kleinfelter from the Attorney General’s office says she has compassion for Fisk’s situation but the state is concerned about a chilling effect on philanthropy. “We could back down, but the consequences of that for future charitable giving for the state of Tennessee are just tremendous. I mean, think about it.”

WPLN's Blake Farmer has an update on the Fisk University Stieglitz collection case, which is five weeks from a Tennessee Court of Appeals hearing. A group of alumni have submitted a brief with the court saying they don't want the art to be sold because of the possible impact on the university's ability to recruit future donors. Perhaps more importantly, they also suggest Fisk administrators are dramatizing their financial situation.

They point to a newsletter from the university sent out as recently as April that touts “fundraising progress” and surpassing a goal to raise $3 million. The alumni say Fisk’s credibility is – quote – “quite regrettably, squarely in question.”