Covid Won’t Stop In-Person Trial Over Columbia Retirement Plan

Witnesses in the upcoming trial over Columbia University’s retirement plan can’t use the Covid-19 pandemic to avoid testifying in person, a federal judge in the Southern District of New York ruled.

“The COVID-19 pandemic itself does not alone constitute ‘good cause’ or ‘compelling circumstances’ to allow witnesses to testify remotely rather than personally in court,” Judge George B. Daniels said. His order, issued Thursday, comes less than two weeks before the 28,000-person class action is scheduled to begin trial on April 12.

Daniels ordered all designated trial witnesses to testify in person unless the parties agree otherwise, or unless he ...