Johns Hopkins lawsuit highlights questions about schools' obligations to donors

A dispute between the heirs of Elizabeth Beall Banks and Johns Hopkins University over the use of the farm she sold to the school is the latest in a series of high-profile disputes that have focused attention on the question of an institution’s obligation to its donors.

No one tracks the number of such cases, but experts say disagreements between donors and institutions are not unusual. It is rare, however, that they spill into public view.