EAST LANSING, Mich. – The fallout continues at Michigan State University after a recent letter from a member of the Board of Trustees called for the removal of the board chair.
MSU students and alums are proud of their connection to the university, that’s why they hope it gets better. They said some people aren’t up to the job and should be let go.
“We keep getting bad publicity for things over the current months,” said student Kevin Bur. “It keeps racking up.”
Before the Spartans took on the Wolverines at the Rivalry Game Saturday, a pregame trivia question involving Adolf Hitler on the video board at Spartan Stadium sparked outrage.
“My first thought is it’s got to be AI. That’s got to be photoshopped. There is no way that it was actually shown on the stadium jumbotron,” MSU Hillel Jewish Student Center Executive Director Robyn Hughey said.
University officials apologized and promised greater oversight on what will be displayed at sporting events.
“It’s kind of disappointing the way things are going right now,” said student Jeremey Wilder. “You’d expect people to have their acts together.”
There’s rising tension across the country, including on college campuses, over the crisis unfolding in the Middle East.
Hughey said she’s making sure Jewish students feel supported.
“We are always thinking about students’ mental health, their wellness. We provide a lot of programming focused on that,” Hughey said.
MSU Trustee Dennis Denno said in a statement: “I support Chair Rema Vassar, and I’m disappointed some Trustees are grandstanding with false accusations due to a personal grievance.”
There’s also discord on the Board of Trustees. Trustee Brianna Scott sent a letter to her colleagues Friday that called for the resignation of board chair Rema Vassar, accusing her of improper conduct.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, an MSU alum, responded to Scott’s allegations.
“This university has been rocked by scandal after scandal with no clear unified leadership or direction and tragically no accountability either,” Whitmer said. “Right now, there are too many questions and not enough answers.”
Related: Gov. Whitmer criticizes Michigan State for ‘scandal after scandal,’ leadership woes
Vassar has not yet responded to Local 4′s request for comment.
In September, Mel Tucker was fired as the head football coach following a sexual harassment suit.
Students and alums said they’ve had enough of the dysfunction.
“We have a terrible track record. I think the only way to solve it is you just got to change the leadership. It’s that simple,” said student Ryan McCarthy. “Clearly the people they hire in various positions for MSU, it’s not working great.”
MSU Interim President Teresa Woodruff released the following statement:
“As the university bylaws state, I serve to promote, support, and protect the interests of Michigan State University. As outlined in a recent trustee letter, these responsibilities have been challenging at times. Regardless of these matters, I have been unwavering in my support and dedicated work on behalf of our outstanding students, faculty, and staff as we collaboratively advance knowledge and transform lives.”
MSU Interim President Teresa Woodruff
Rema Vassar issued out a statement Monday night on controversy surrounding school
MSU Chair Rema Vassar issues statement by brandon carr on Scribd
More: Community wants answers after Hitler shown on Spartan Stadium videoboards