Hugh Culverhouse, Jr., the University of Alabama’s largest donor, has called for a boycott of Alabama -- school and state -- over the state’s latest near-total abortion ban law.

But the UA System and Culverhouse have been in an ongoing dispute over the millions he has donated to the law school unrelated to the abortion legislation, vice chancellor for communications Kellee Reinhart said. In an emailed statement, Reinhart said Culverhouse asked the school to return $10 million, “repeating numerous demands about the operations of the University of Alabama School of Law."

University of Alabama System Chancellor Finis St. John recommended the Board of Trustees return the $21.5 million in donations the law school it has actually received, and restore the name to “The University of Alabama School of Law” in a memo sent to board members yesterday. It was renamed in September 2018 to Hugh F. Culverhouse Jr. School of Law after the Florida businessman pledged to donate $26.5 million to the university.

“After numerous conversations and communications involving President (Stuart) Bell and (School of Law Dean Mark) Brandon, it is apparent that University and law school leadership will not be able to meet the donor’s expectations and do not share the same vision for the future,” said St. John. "It is my recommendation that we comply with the request to return the recent gift, as well as the prior gifts, and restore the name ‘The University of Alabama School of Law.’ Returning the gifts and renaming the law school are Board decisions and can only happen by Board action.”

The spokesperson for UA said the dispute over Culverhouse donations is unrelated to the recent abortion legislation.

Culverhouse said he doesn’t know what the boycott would look like, but a boycott of out-of-state students would get the government’s attention. “All foreign and U.S. international firms that do business in Alabama should boycott,” Culverhouse said. “It would get the law changed quickly.”

Culverhouse’s father, Hugh Culverhouse Sr., and his mother Joy both attended UA and were prominent donors to the university. He said his father was an active officer of a Planned Parenthood in Jacksonville, Fla., when he was a child and his mother was strong-willed and never would have stood for Alabama’s strict abortion regulations. Culverhouse Jr. said he does not want his donation back, but he is afraid students from out of state will be deterred by Alabama’s strict laws on reproductive health.

The abortion ban was signed into law by Gov. Kay Ivey and has already been challenged by the ACLU of Alabama and Planned Parenthood Southeast. State Rep. Terri Collins, R-Decatur said the purpose of the ban is to challenge the Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade.

“What law do you follow? Do you follow the state of Alabama or do you follow federal law?" Culverhouse said. "What example does the state of Alabama set for people who want to be lawyers if they purposefully pass a law that they know is unconstitutional?”

The Florida native said an economic boycott of the university and the state at large would be the quickest way to get the state politicians to pay attention.

“Sweet home Alabama? There ain’t nothing god-damn sweet about it,” Culverhouse said.