Judge Judy Funds Debate Forum At USC
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com/AP) — Judy Sheindlin, better known as Judge Judy, is funding a space for public debate at the University of Southern California.
The forum unveiled Tuesday night will host the USC Annenberg Debate Series.
The university said the series will bring together people with different perspectives, including leaders and students.
Sheindlin, a retired New York family court judge, is host of the long-running TV court show "Judge Judy."
She says the free exchange of ideas by well-meaning people must be honored on college campuses.
"When one searches for the truth, one should be armed with all available information," she said in the statement. "A closed mind is a dangerous thing."
Willow Bay, dean of the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, said in a statement that schools have a responsibility to encourage civil dialogue.
The Sheindlin Forum is named for the former judge and her husband, Jerry, who is also a former judge of the Supreme Court of New York.
The donation, the amount of which was not disclosed, will also fund an endowment that will support Sheindlin Debate Fellows, which will run debate programs at USC.
(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
