Michigan State University police are investigating an influx of threatening messages this week directed at MSU Board of Trustees members.
The board has been under an increased level of scrutiny since May 27, when President Kevin Guskiewicz announced that he would be leaving for Clemson University and cited disagreements with the board as a reason.
On Monday, Athletic Director J Batt, who was hired one year prior, announced his upcoming move to the University of Kentucky.
While the trustees are no strangers to public backlash and angry emails, Trustee Mike Balow said he hasn't seen messages directed at individual trustees in such a large volume before.
"It's the tone that gets you really worried," Balow said. "There's been some really bad things said, and then with the whole doxxing incident with the addresses all being out there, I'm just like, this is not acceptable."
The increase in messages came shortly after MSU men's basketball coach Tom Izzo said on Monday that university alumni should "stand up" to the Board of Trustees in response to Guskiewicz's and Batt's impending departure.
Balow told WKAR that he doesn't blame Izzo for the increase in threats.
"I know he didn't intend that, for sure," he said. "I don’t want to convey that. But I think that people hear things."
However, Balow said leaders need to be more cautious when pointing fingers.
“We know that in our country today, like, there’s more political violence rather than less. And I just think we as leaders need to do everything we can to tone it down, right? And not be accusational and things like that.”
Despite the threats, Balow says he and other trustees will not change how they express their opinions on the board.
"We can't let people influence us by intimidation," he said. "That's not American."
President Guskiewicz and Board Chair Brianna Scott released a joint statement about the threats to The Detroit News today, saying “no person should fear for their safety or be obligated to sacrifice their sense of security in exchange for holding public office.”
A petition on Change.org calling for the resignation of Trustees Balow, Rema Vassar and Dennis Denno has gathered more than 12,000 signatures in the past few weeks.
