Two Michigan State Trustees Unable to Exit First Amendment Suit

Two Michigan State University trustees must keep facing a professor’s lawsuit alleging they disparaged him as a “racist” as a part of a character assassination campaign, a district court ruled Wednesday.

Michigan State Trustees Rema Vassar and Dennis Denno were denied their motions to dismiss Jack Lipton’s First Amendment lawsuit, according to an opinion in the US District Court for the Western District of Michigan. Judge Hala Y. Jarbou did grant dismissal for the board’s office and the remaining six remaining trustees, ruling Lipton failed to state a claim against them.

• Vassar allegedly falsely accused Lipton of being a racist ...