Publications
Publications
- November 2018 (Revised December 2018)
- HBS Case Collection
CalSTRS Takes on Gun Violence
By: Vikram S Gandhi and Caitlin Reimers
Abstract
In Spring of 2018, Chris Ailman, CIO of the $200 billion pension plan for California public school teachers (CalSTRS) was mandated by his board to “prioritize engagement with makers and retailers of firearms in California” following a series of gun-related tragedies in schools. While CalSTRS had a long history of engagement and even divestment, as a fiduciary for the retirement assets of current and future teachers, calls for values-motivated screening or divestment always posed an inherently complex challenge. Having spearheaded the development of Principles for a Responsible Civilian Firearm Industry released on November 14, 2018, Chris Ailman and his team had to decide what to do next.
Keywords
Pension Funds; Pension Plan; Asset Allocation; Screening; ESG; Gun Violence; Business and Government Relations; Values and Beliefs; Education Industry; California; United States
Citation
Gandhi, Vikram S., and Caitlin Reimers. "CalSTRS Takes on Gun Violence." Harvard Business School Case 819-079, November 2018. (Revised December 2018.)