When Gov. Mike Braun appointed three new trustees to Indiana University’s governing board earlier this month, there were some familiar names among his choices.
Such as Jim Bopp Jr., a lawyer who spent most of his career chipping away at abortion rights and who wrote the blueprint for state anti-abortion laws after Roe v. Wade was overturned. Or media personality Sage Steele, a broadcaster who once was temporarily removed from ESPN for her comments about vaccines and Barack Obama’s racial identity.
But then there’s Brian Eagle.
In contrast to Bopp and Steele, Eagle is not outspoken about politics and instead focuses his social media presence on his business.
So who is Eagle?
He is a lawyer who lives in Fishers and runs an Indianapolis-based estate planning firm. But it’s unclear how he came to be appointed to the board or what he hopes to accomplish.
When asked by Mirror Indy for an interview at a June 12 board of trustees meeting, Eagle said all interviews must be arranged by a spokesperson. IU spokesperson Mark Bode directed Mirror Indy to contact the board of trustees, whose spokesperson did not respond to a request for an interview.
The new appointments came after an eleventh-hour addition to the state budget bill, which gave the governor total control over the IU board appointments. Critics say this policy further politicizes higher education and threatens academic freedom.
Prior to appointing Bopp, Steele and Eagle, Braun abruptly removed the three alumni-elected trustees — Vivian Winston, Jill Maurer Burnett and Donna Spears. In a June 2 statement, Braun said he was confident that his three appointees “will help guide IU back in the right direction as a premier flagship university in our state.”
What we know
Like Bopp and Steele, Eagle is an Indiana University alum. He graduated from IU in 1986 with a degree in accounting. He then attended Hofstra University in New York for law school.
Eagle is the managing attorney at Eagle and Fein, which he brought to Indianapolis with his father in 1992, per the company’s website. The firm provides a variety of services related to wills and trusts, including estate planning, business succession and elder care arrangements.
Eagle and Fein also has several other companies under its umbrella, all of which list Eagle as a founder. These include Legacy Administration Services, which focuses on estate planning administration; Inheralink, which is a digital platform for estate planners; and the Eagle Wealth Planning Institute, which hosts events for those involved in the estate planning industry.
Eagle also does not appear to be a prolific political donor. A review of Open Secrets, for example, turned up just a single contribution — a $10 donation to an Arizona Democrat in 1998, who appears to be a family member. Eagle is a top donor to the Indiana Walk to End Alzheimer’s as of June 18.
A new era
On June 12, Eagle, Steele and Bopp were sworn in as IU’s newest trustees, marking a dramatic milestone for the university’s nine-member governing board. Eagle’s term runs until 2027, while both Steele and Bopp are serving terms that run until 2028.
During their first board meeting this month, board members approved several significant changes to IU policy. These included amending the university’s controversial expressive activities policy to allow protests at all hours of the day — in response to a federal lawsuit — and editing dozens of university policies in accordance with new legislation. They also approved a $225,000 bonus for IU President Pamela Whitten.
There was also a clear vibe shift on the board. Bopp commented in favor of many of the policies brought before the board, especially the changes to the expressive activities policy. But he also lamented what he described as the governing board’s lack of transparency in decision making.
“The proposals that came to the trustees should be made public,” he said of changes made to the expressive activities policy. “I’m a little surprised that’s not the case, and I think the results would be much better.”
Throughout the meeting, Eagle didn’t comment.
Claire Rafford covers higher education for Mirror Indy in partnership with Open Campus. Contact Claire by email claire.rafford@mirrorindy.org, on most social media @clairerafford or on Signal 317-759-0429.
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