“The historic significance of her chairmanship—first Black woman in 168 years—has been transformed into a public narrative of forced removal,” the pre-litigation letter says.
A member of the Michigan State University Board of Trustees has announced that she is preparing to file a civil rights lawsuit against several current and former school officials.
According to WILX, attorneys for trustee Rema Vassar recently sent a 23-page-long letter to outgoing university President Kevin Guskiwicz and current Board Chair Brianna Scott.
The letter, notes WILX, is dated May 17—the same day that the university’s Board of Trustees convened for a special meeting and made significant changes to its code of ethics.
Vassar, for her part, has said that these changes violate her right to free speech. Her attorneys submitted a range of alternate recommendations, giving the university a June 17 deadline to respond. If the school doesn’t take action, Vassar said, she will file a lawsuit to compel change.
Vassar also accused other members of the board of racial discrimination.
“The historic significance of her chairmanship—first Black woman in 168 years—has been transformed into a public narrative of forced removal,” the pre-litigation letter says.
The letter cited a 2023 letter sent by Board Chair Brianna Scott, who accused Vassar of engaging in misconduct. “No comparable pressure campaign has ever been mounted against any white trustee for governance-related conduct,” the letter alleges, not acknowledging that Scott is also an African-American woman.
A Washington, D.C.-based law firm later conducted a third-party investigation. It ultimately found that Vassar had likely engaged in some forms of misconduct, but not all that Scott had accused her of committing.
Several Michigan State University students told WILX that, while they disagree with the university’s ethics policy—which prohibits trustees from speaking out against decisions approved by a majority of board members—filing a lawsuit seems like a poor choice in light of the school’s ongoing financial struggles.
“I mean, they’re public officials, they’re public servants,” student Reed Papakonstantinoe told WILX. “A city council wouldn’t bind its members not to disagree if one of them disagreed with a policy—like, why shouldn’t the Board of Trustees have a similar policy?”
However, both Papakonstantinoe and fellow student Ben Machesky questioned whether suing is the right decision.
“I feel proud to be a Spartan, feel proud to be part of a community of young people who are aspiring to do good things in the world, but I don’t think that’s reflected by our administration,” Machesky said.
Papakonstantinoe added that it seems “kind of unproductive just to demand money from the university instead of trying to change the system that is making all these petty personal squabbles.”
Vassar’s letter indicated that she will seek about $25 million in damages if the university refuses to implement her recommendations.
Sources
MSU trustee plans to sue university over alleged discrimination
MSU trustee to sue university over discrimination
Vassar prepares legal action, alleging years of racial discrimination
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