Oberlin College’s appointment last month of Matthew Lahey as vice president, general counsel and secretary has sparked controversy among Oberlin alumni and labor unions representing its employees.

The concern was fueled by Lahey’s LinkedIn profile, which includes “union avoidance” among his skills. Some alumni believe this represents a growing anti-union trend in Oberlin, following the outsourcing of 108 custodial and dining jobs in the spring of 2020 that had been covered under United Auto Workers contracts.