Story highlights Cruz had previously criticized the protestors

Princeton says it will do more on diversity on campus

(CNN) Princeton University announced Monday that its Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs would continue to bear the name of the 28th president, despite protests by student activists seeking to rename the school because of Wilson's record on racial issues.

Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz had once called the protestors "essentially pampered teenagers."

In a press release , Princeton's Board of Trustees called for "an expanded and more vigorous commitment to diversity and inclusion at Princeton" -- but stopped short of renaming the school.

"The trustees accepted the committee's recommendation that the school of public and international affairs and the undergraduate residential college that bear Wilson's name should continue to do so," they wrote of the former president who had once served as Princeton's president. "But that the University also must be 'honest and forthcoming about its history' and transparent 'in recognizing Wilson's failings and shortcomings as well as the visions and achievements that led to the naming of the school and the college in the first place.'"

Students at Princeton -- where references to Woodrow Wilson's name and legacy are inescapable -- expressed outrage at the former president's record on race. Wilson once called racial segregation "a benefit" and defended the enslavement of blacks by saying slaves "were happy and well-cared for."

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