© 2024 Michigan State University Board of Trustees
Public Media from Michigan State University
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Former MSU Faculty Senate Chair sues Board of Trustees, alleging retaliation

MSU

A Michigan State University faculty member is suing the Board of Trustees for allegedly violating his first amendment rights to free speech.

Professor Jack Lipton, chair of MSU’s Translational Neuroscience department, previously served as the chair of the Faculty Senate.

He filed a federal lawsuit in the U.S. Western District Court of Michigan on October 1.

The lawsuit alleges MSU Trustees Rema Vassar and Dennis Denno falsely accused him of racism and then retaliated against him following statements he made calling for Vassar’s resignation during and after an October 2023 Board of Trustees meeting.

At the time, Trustee Brianna Scott initiated the calls for resignation after accusing Vassar, who was serving as the board's chair, of inappropriate conduct in a letter addressed to her colleagues.

During the October meeting, several students and community members including Vassar’s spouse refuted those claims with one attendee shouting that “Vassar was being publicly lynched.”

Following the meeting Lipton was quoted in a Detroit News article condemning Vassar, who is Black, for encouraging the audience to disrupt proceedings, saying “she elected to let the mob rule the room."

Lipton says that statement was then used by Vassar and Denno to make claims that he was being racist.

“They took that out of context and said that by the very nature there were several Black students in the audience, or that the people who spoke were largely from minoritized communities, that I was obviously a racist,” said Lipton.

Lipton later apologized for using the term “mob” and said any he was not referring to any members of any specific racial or ethnic group but recognized the impact it had on some members of the community, the lawsuit said.

He says Vassar and Denno then made coordinated efforts to intimidate him, pointing to a statement released in November by the NAACP Michigan State Conference Youth & College Division accusing him of “racial terrorism.”

“To silence faculty and to make faculty afraid to advocate for themselves, to advocate for the university, and as a result, I endured months of coordinated attacks,” he added.

He claims these attacks have prevented him from obtaining promotions or other career opportunities.

“Lipton was explicitly told by a superior that the public attack on his character was seen as a liability for a promotion to the position of Associate Dean for Research Analytics,” the lawsuit stated.

Vassar has since resigned from her role as chair following the release of an independent report by Washington, D.C. law firm Miller & Chevalier that found Vassar and Denno overstepped their authority multiple times and created a “fear of retaliation” among staff and administrators. Both Vassar and Denno were censured by the Board of Trustees and removed from their official duties.

Attorneys from Miller Law who were hired by MSU to represent Vassar disputed the investigation's central claims, calling them "unfounded."

Lipton is seeking punitive damages, past, present and future non-economic damages in an amount to be determined at a trial and the removal or resignation of Vassar and Denno from the Board of Trustees.

A university spokesperson declined to comment on the case.

As WKAR's Bilingual Latinx Stories Reporter, Michelle reports in both English and Spanish on stories affecting Michigan's Latinx community.
As Election Day draws closer, ensure WKAR continues to provide the in-depth coverage of races, topics, and issues important to mid-Michigan. Your gift, no matter the size, supports critical analysis and diverse perspectives you need before heading to the polls. Donate today to keep these essential stories accessible to everyone.