Student, Faculty and Donor Lists Are Not Trade Secrets

Court dismisses claims that former exec unfairly used information for new school

When the executive director of the Bronx Conservatory of Music failed to reach agreement with the school on an extension of his employment contract in 2020, he shortly thereafter founded the Bronx School of Music and sent emails to his personal contacts, former students, community friends, and donors, seeking to recruit them to his new endeavor.

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SAY THAT AGAIN?

April 21, 2025

Those old enough to remember what it meant to say a story appeared “above the fold” on the front page of a newspaper may appreciate this story. People used to want to place stories above the fold because readers would at least glance at the story in the top half of the page that was visible when they picked up the paper before they looked at stuff that was below the fold and not immediately visible.

The printed version of the Philadelphia Inquirer had a four column picture and article about Pope Francis on the day after Easter that was written and printed before the Pope had died but seen by morning readers after his death had been widely reported. The fold divided the two-line headline so only the top line was visible. The top line said: “Pope meets Vance, then”

We can only imagine what readers were thinking before they flipped the page to read: “decries ‘the logic of fear’”

See our "Say That Again" collection

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Student, Faculty and Donor Lists Are Not Trade Secrets

Student, Faculty and Donor Lists Are Not Trade Secrets