Michigan State University Police investigate reported threats against trustees
Michigan State University police are investigating reported threats against trustees, officials said on Wednesday.
The Department of Police and Public Safety confirmed that there was "an increase in electronic communication and social media commentary, shared both publicly and privately," directed at trustees, and the department is working to determine whether a crime was committed.
"The safety of every member of the MSU community is the core mission of the MSU Department of Police and Public Safety (DPPS), and that commitment extends fully to our elected officials and university leaders," the department said in a statement.
Details on those reported threats have not been released.
On Wednesday, Trustee Rebecca Bahar-Cook told The Detroit News that police were dispatched to trustees' homes. MSU police told CBS News Detroit they have connected with board members to "provide safety measures."
In a joint statement, outgoing President Kevin Guskiewicz and Board Chair Brianna Scott said, "Michigan State University provides support and resources to any member of our community who experiences unwanted attention online and we encourage individuals to report concerning posts or content to the MSU Department of Police and Public Safety for evaluation."
They added, "We understand that elected officials will be subjected to public critique and criticism, and that at times it may be pointed, crass or even offensive. But no person should fear for their safety or be obligated to sacrifice their sense of security in exchange for holding public office. The MSU Department of Police and Public Safety is fully engaged with members of the Board of Trustees to evaluate and respond to concerns, and we thank DPPS for their continued efforts to help ensure the safety of trustees, on and off campus."
The board has been under a microscope with Guskiewicz's upcoming departure. The university president announced in May that he would be leaving to become the next president of Clemson University. More than two weeks later, on June 15, athletic director J Batt announced he was leaving to become the new athletic director at the University of Kentucky.
In the May 27 letter to the MSU community, Guskiewicz pointed to "differing perspectives within the Board of Trustees regarding how best to move MSU forward." While he didn't name specific trustees, he said "meaningful progress" was hindered by disagreements and personal interests that he said were put above the university's best interests.
Within hours of Batt's announcement of his departure, basketball coach Tom Izzo blasted the latest leadership change, calling it "self-inflicted." Izzo called on all MSU alumni to "stand up" and "rally together."
"We just lost the best president, I mean, to ever have been here ... one of the best," Izzo told reporters. "There's other dominoes it affected when things go wrong like that. I'm very upset about it, and I'm sick of it."
Most recently, Trustees Rema Vassar and Mike Balow were censured after voting against a revised code of ethics. The new code of conduct, which received a 5-3 vote, bars trustees from publicly dissenting from decisions made by the majority of the board.
The formal censure means Vassar and Balow won't have access to game tickets, university-funded legal representation, or reimbursements. In a statement to CBS News Detroit, Michigan State University said, in part, that the revisions "... in no way limit free speech or restrict trustees from raising concerns, providing oversight or questioning decisions."
