The drama surrounding the Michigan State University Board of Trustees is escalating after trustees had their personal information posted on social media this week, prompting a police response.
Officials with the East Lansing Police Department tell News 10 Lansing they received notice from the Michigan State University Department of Public Safety to be aware of the trustees’ addresses after their personal information - including their home addresses and phone numbers - was posted online earlier this week.
Officers drove by those homes to get familiar with the locations, officials said.
The posting of the information - also known as doxxing - comes one month after a contentious board of trustees meeting where the university’s code of ethics and conduct was updated, ultimately leading to an upheaval in leadership.
Since then, Trustee Rema Vassar has threatened to sue the school, detailing allegations of discrimination, retaliation and First Amendment violations, which also didn’t sit well with many members of the Spartan community.
The addresses were posted amid major leadership changes at the university, including the Monday departure of MSU Athletic Director J Batt. He left to take the same position at the University of Kentucky, just weeks after President Kevin Guskiewicz announced he was leaving to become president at Clemson University.
Guskiewicz and Board Chair Brianna Scott shared the following statement with News 10 Lansing:
“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.
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."
Scott told News 10 Lansing that there have been no threats made to any trustees that the board has been made aware of.
“Obviously, trustees don’t appreciate their personal addresses being posted online,” Scott said.
Scott said she understands she is a public official and her information can be found easily.
The university said the MSU Department of Police and Public Safety (DPPS) is working with the board of trustees to evaluate and respond to these concerns.
A statement sent to News 10 from MSU DPPS says:
"Over the past several days, the department has noted an increase in electronic communication and social media commentary, shared both publicly and privately, directed toward members the MSU Board of Trustees.
DPPS is actively evaluating and investigating several communications and social media posts to determine if whether the elements of a crime was committed. As a precaution, DPPS has proactively engaged directly with those Trustees and other law enforcement officials to coordinate and provide safety measures."
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