University of Chicago 'denounced'

A Chicago City Council committee has voted to "denounce" the University of Chicago for its refusal to rid its financial portfolio of $1 million invested in companies doing business in Sudan. Alderman Billy Ocasio, who chairs the Human Relations Committee, says the university is taking a position of genocide for its refusal to divest from the north African nation. But University of Chicago spokeswoman Julie Peterson says the decision not to divest was the result of "very careful consideration." She noted the university also did not dump South African investments in the 1980s. The committee's decision to denounce the university came on a nonbinding resolution. Ocasio says the resolution is backed by 40 aldermen and could be discussed at the next full city council meeting.