Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox says his deputy Andrew Shirvell might be a complete asshole for his one-man campaign against University of Michigan Student Assembly President Chris Armstrong, but he can’t fire him because he has that First Amendment thing going for him.
Cox appears on AC360 following Shirvell’s ridiculous stop-over. And while Cox is not defending Shirvell’s behavior, which Cox calls “offensive,” he is standing up for his free speech rights.
An argument I completely agree with! Except Shirvell is a bully, the very type Cox’s office seeks to eradicate. And in these situations I always think, What if Shirvell was harassing and intimidating a black person for being black? Surely we’d all be standing by cheering him on, right?
mikey
no he shouldn’t (unfortunately!), but the AG should investigate to see if he did any of his research, writing, or posting from work or during time he was to be working. If so, he should be terminated.
Rick Gold
No.
Then he can claim that “radical homosexuals” forced him out.
Instead, you sue the fucker for everything he is worth, demonstrate outside his house at all hours, follow him around and yell “bigot” at random intervals and in general make his life as miserable as possible.
Show him that while speech may be free, bigotry has a rather high cost.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
Mike Cox: What a line of complete bullshit………
If this certifiable lunatic obsessed stalker had set his sights on anyone besides a Gay kid he would have been terminated in a nanosecond. This man represents the office responsible for the legal system for your state. A system that should do everyting in its power to prevent, discourage and prosecute those who stalk others. This scumbag is a disgrace to that office and by retaining his employment the offic responsible for protecting all the citizens of the state is encouraging the stalking and harrasment of Gay citizens………..
scott ny'er
Perez Hilton or some other trash journalist should stalk Shirvell and start cyber bullying him. When the shoe is on the other foot, it’ll be interesting to see how much he likes it.
Shirvell is a douche and should not be in office. I wouldn’t want him defending me.
scott ny'er
Report Shirvell’s website to Google as a hate speech site.
Rick Gold
I am going after his law license by filing a complaint against him with the Michigan Attorney Grievance Board.
http://www.agcmi.com/pages/RequestInvestigation.html
I know the are other esquires that frequent this blog and I urge that they consider doing the same
Cam
Actually, I think Anderson Cooper rightly pointed out that Shirvell seems to have broken Michigan’s cyber cullying/cyber stalking laws.
Cam
@Rick Gold:
LOVING THIS!
Rick Gold
Call him and let him know your opinion: Andrew Shirvell Attorney General (517) 373-4875
Rick Gold
Or send an email if you prefer: [email protected]
Andy
It’s not a free speech issue: this guy is part of the justice system, one that’s supposed show impartiality.
Can anyone imagine what would happen if Aunt Shirvell’s site was targeting a black student for his race?
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
Here is another angle to put some hurt on this scumbag:
He actually joined a protest with the roving band of inbred scum the westboro baptist church in yet another insane action in his obesssion with Chris Armstrong. There is a pic of him “protesting” with that scum in a previous Queerty post. I lifted that pic and sent E-mails to as many Veterans organizations I could find based in Mich. advising that the Deputy AG of their state was standing in solidartiy with a group who travels the country holding signs stating “Thank God For Dead United States Soldiers”.
Cox is pandering to the rightwing in an effort to show he will not side with the Gays by firing this scumbag. Fuck him we need to use every measure to force his hand. Too many Gay kids and teens this week have taken their own lives because for far too long we are treated as and unfortunately accepted second class citizenship. Shit that would not be spewed upon nor tolerated by any other group hits our community each and every day……….
tavdy79
So far as I know, employment contracts usually include clauses which allow an organisation to fire an employee if their actions are significantly contrary to the goals of the organisation, or if they bring the organisation into disrepute.
In this case, the prevention of cyberbullying is one of the stated aims of the MI DOJ, so an employee who engages in cyberbullying would be acting against the interests of the MI DOJ.
That means Atty. Gen. Cox is lying when he says he cannot fire Shirvell: at the very least he should be able to suspend him and start a formal investigation on the basis of breach of contract. The fact that he hasn’t says a lot IMO.
tavdy79
@PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS: which Queerty article was that? I’d like to see & spread the photo(s) too!
FreddyMertz
Do we actually know what “free speech” is…does it protect us from the government or the public?…seems he is encapsulated working for the government..shit..so how can you be fired by the gov when you work for them…however as I know it it does not protect him from the public. Tough..as I do not live in Michigan and would prob set up a protest as to the workings of the AG’s office. Can people protest outside “his” home?…just asking?
mk
Queerty you should post 360’s follow up segment to this interview. Toobin and a free speech advocate lawyer BOTH said the direction of the law has been taking for years is towards more limits on what civil servants can excuse under free speech in their spare time. They also agreed the case against this guy was particularly strong because of the physically stalking aspect of hanging around the guy’s home and the attacking of one individual online rather than arguing generally against a political concept. Cox is making the decision not to fire or discipline Shirvell and wrongly trying to justify it by saying he’s compelled to decide that way by the law.
Here’s the transcript which includes the second segment: http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1009/29/acd.02.html
Zach
Armstrong just filed for a restraining order. If it’s granted, I can’t see how this guy will be able to keep his job.
Also, I would strongly urge that Chris and Jason (Chris’s boyfriend) take measures to protect themselves, including Michigian’s weapons law. You have a right to carry a firearm to protect yourself.
If it sounds extreme, too bad. This man is a stalker and I’ve seen enough of these cases to know that when the boiling point is reached, these people will almost ALWAYS lash out.
I am worried for the safety of Chris and others,I can only hope they will stay safe.
ewe
Grip reality. I am very disappointed Anderson Cooper did not ask the attorney general whether he would be keeping his assistant if he stood in front of an african americans house screaming nigger and posting that on the internet. Would he be a private citizen then? We all know the answer so that which begs another question. Where are all those who believe civil rights is so sacred on this topic? This is homophobia and discrimination at the highest level in Michigan. They both should be fired!!!
ewe
The attorney general is playing politics so as not to lose his base. He is not serving the entire population of Michigan as a result. He should be fired.
Paul
Hey Andy! Anybody who reads your blog can see it – you got a serious manlove thing for Chris – but he’s just not into you. If you can’t get under him, you’ll have to get over him. You need to find a dude who’ll do you (might not be that easy) and get it over with. Or get some kind of help. Good luck from a fellow homo!
ewe
@Paul: You are probably right and that is why the attorney general stated a (mandatory) employee assistance program is available if a complaint was made resulting with a restraining order. The only problem with that is that it addresses rehabilitating the offender and leaves the victim in the cold. He needs to lose the job in order for the victim to feel empowered and all Michigan citizens to feel represented. The attorney general is playing politics. Perhaps and ethics investigation into him would speed up the process.
Cam
The AG quoted a Supreme Court case from the 90’s in which the govt. employee was allowed to keep their job. He seems to have forgotten a case in 2006 in which the govt. employee was fired for doing stuff that wasn’t half as creepy as what this guy is doing.
Also, I bet that the reason Armstrong never filed for a restraining order before this is because without the story going out on CNN, the AG’s office probably has enough friends on the court to keep them from granting the restraining order. They are screwed now that the story has gone public.
Cam
Ohhhh, Attorney General Mike Cox
His Michigan offices are
Lansing-517-373-1110
Detroit 313-456-0240 and…
Grand Rapids 616-356-0400
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
@tavdy79: Not sure use the search box here on Queerty and put in asshats name all the threads bout him will pop up it was the lead photo
PopSnap
I’m actually more concerned with the fact that he’s a grown man stalking a college student to the point of where he posts long-winded, several thousand word essays dissecting a comment his mother made on his FB page about going gambling than I am about the fairly standard retard fundie homophobia. This whole entire thing is just bizarre… how does someone like this exist? What does he think when he wakes up in the morning? How does he explain this to his family?
Perhaps the funniest thing about it, as any MSU student/alumni will tell you… the student government isn’t even a big deal. They are hardly ever noticed. My cousin goes to MSU and she said that the only time she ever heard any mention of the Student Body president was once at a dedication they had for a new building. That’s it. And yet you’d think its the end of the world according to this strange, sweaty, nasally 40-year old virgin loser.
My brain is broke.
hephaestion
Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox is a complete idiot and a liar. Michigan should be ashamed.
scott ny'er
Ha. Shirvell’s blog is now invite only. Now, if he AND Mike Cox can be fired. That would be great.
Red
He should be fired, have a mental evaluation and face harrassment charges.
mrlbumiller
HE SHOULD BE CANNED! He is repriesenting the state of Mich. and in my opinion that is a 24/7 job. He can have his own opinion, but it appears that he is using his position to attack a citizen.