Former Mich. Assistant AG Sued for Defamation by Student He Denounced as ‘Radical Homosexual'
A former assistant attorney general in Michigan is facing a defamation lawsuit that claims he “developed a bizarre personal obsession” with a student the lawyer denounced in blog posts as a “radical homosexual.”
The suit was filed by Christopher Armstrong, former president of the University of Michigan student assembly, according to the Detroit News and AnnArbor.com. The complaint (PDF) filed in Washtenaw Circuit Court accuses lawyer Andrew Shirvell of defamation, infliction of emotional distress, invasion of privacy and stalking.
Shirvell was fired in November after an investigation concluded he waged his campaign against Armstrong partly on state time.
The suit claims Shirvell made several false and defamatory statements online. They include: Shirvell accused Armstrong of being “Satan’s representative,” said he recruits freshman “to join the homosexual lifestyle,” and said he ascribes to the teachings of the Ku Klux Klan and the Nazi party.
The suit claims Shirvell obtained a law license even though his law school, Ave Maria, took the position that he was unfit to practice.
