U. of Michigan Student President Chris Armstrong Sues Former Assistant AG Andrew Shirvell for Harassment

Former Michigan assistant attorney general Andrew Shirvell, who was fired last November for months of anti-gay cyber-bullying of University of Michigan student body president Chris Armstrong, is being sued by Armstrong for harassment, the Detroit Free Press reports:

The current University of Michigan student body president filed a lawsuit Friday saying a former assistant state attorney general stalked him and inflicted emotional distress last year by posting alleged defamatory statements on a blog as part of a “bizarre personal obsession” that included calling him a Nazi, Ku Klux Klan member and a “radical homosexual activist,” according to a lawsuit.

Chris Armstrong, the first openly gay student body president at U-M, filed the suit against Andrew Shirvell in Washtenaw County Circuit Court.

Armstrong is seeking more than $25,000 in damages.

Said Armstrong's attorney: "This guy has behaved so irresponsibly, especially for an attorney. He’s a rebel without a cause. At this point, it’s not about the money. Mr. Shirvell has refused to retract any of his bizarre and untruthful points. We want to set the record straight."

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Watch: Anderson Cooper on the Firing of Andrew Shirvell

Anderson Cooper, who has covered the story of extremist cyber-bully Andrew Shirvell's attacks on U. of Michigan student body President Chris Armstrong extensively, discusses the news of Shirvell's firing yesterday with Deborah Gordon, attorney for Armstrong.

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

Michigan Asst AG Andrew Shirvell Fired for Anti-Gay Cyber-bullying of Chris Armstrong

Michigan Assistant Attorney General was fired at a hearing today, the Detroit Free Press reports:

A hearing that was supposed to be held Tuesday was moved up to this afternoon. Philip Thomas said he showed up for the meeting and was read one sentence.

“They said essentially that as a result of Andrew’s conduct, it’s become impossible for him to carry out his duties as an attorney general.”

Shirvell had been criticized for his blog in which he calls Chris Armstrong, the president of the Michigan Student Assembly, a radical homosexual, a Nazi and Satan’s representative on the assembly. Thomas had said his client is expressing his free-speech rights.

Thomas said the firing felt "political" and blamed media attention from the left: "There’s been a tremendous piling on against Andrew. The liberal media started this tempest in a teapot. Andrew’s reaction is that he’s devastated over the loss of his employment."

Said Chris Armstrong's attorney Deborah Gordon: "The next step must be a complete retraction of all the malicious lies and fabrications by Mr. Shirvell, and a public apology to Chris Armstrong, his family and the others Mr. Shirvell has slandered."

In related news, one of our readers pointed out to me last week that we've been covering Andrew Shirvell's anti-gay activities since at least 2005, when Shirvell was raising a stink about a pizza joint in Ann Arbor with a rainbow flag decal on its window that told its customers it was a gay-friendly establishment.

Watch: The Daily Show Mocks 'Cyber-Bullying Victim' Andrew Shirvell Over His Attacks on Chris Armstrong

The Daily Show's Jason Jones interviews Michigan assistant Attorney General Andrew Shirvell about the attacks on his character for exposing University of Michigan student body president Chris Armstrong as a "gay Nazi and privileged pervert."

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

Michigan Assistant AG Andrew Shirvell Could Lose His License

This possibility arose yesterday after openly gay University of Michigan student assembly president Chris Armstrong and his attorney filed a complaint with the Michigan Attorney Grievance Commission.

The Detroit Free Press reports:

"Deborah Gordon, the attorney for U-M student Chris Armstrong, said Friday she has filed a complaint with the Michigan Attorney Grievance Commission against Shirvell, a Michigan assistant attorney general, on behalf of her client. The complaint alleges Shirvell harassed and defamed Armstrong during what Gordon describes as a six-month campaign 'of lies, dishonesty, heckling, hate speech and even job interference.' The commission could disbar Shirvell if it investigates. 'I could not stand by and let Mr. Shirvell continue his reckless, bullying behavior,' Armstrong said in a statement."

Armstrong added: "We just feel very strongly ... that you can't be a licensed attorney and an officer of the court and conduct yourself this way and essentially terrorize a college student."

While Armstrong has dropped his restraining order against Shirvell, the state's assistant attorney general is still not allowed to step foot on the the University of Michigan campus. Shirvell's attorney has threatened legal action if that ban lifted is not lifted as well.

Shirvell is still under voluntary leave from his position but is scheduled to return to his position next week.