Politics

Andrew Shirvell Files Wrongful Termination Suit Against Mike Cox, Bill Schuette

November 07, 2013, 7:36 PM

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Andrew Shirvell/AP photo

Remember Andrew Shirvell? He was the assistant attorney general under Mike Cox who began blogging about and protesting against the University of Michigan's then-student body president Chris Armstrong because Armstrong was gay? Ultimately, the controversy led to Shirvell's dismissal from the AG's office and a thorough round of ridicule from the likes of The Daily Show and much of the internet.

When Cox fired Shirvell in 2010 he said: "To be clear, I refuse to fire anyone for exercising their First Amendment rights, regardless of how popular or unpopular their positions might be. However, Mr. Shirvell repeatedly violated office policies, engaged in borderline stalking behavior, and inappropriately used state resources, our investigation showed."

Three years later, Shirvell has a different--and long-winded--tale to tell. He filed a 79-page wrongful termination lawsuit against Cox, current Attorney General Bill Schuette, and a handful of AG office underlings Thursday in federal court.  Shirvell is acting as his own attorney.

A civil lawsuit filing, much like a criminal indictment, isn't necessarily evidence of wrongdoing on anyone's part. What's more, a state review board upheld Shirvell's firing in 2012, saying in response to his claim that he was thrown under a bus: "Appellee countered — accurately — that after Appellee had warned Appellant repeatedly that a bus was coming, he chose to walk out in the middle of the road, lie down and wait for the bus to roll over him."

The gist of Shirvell's claim is that an Attorney General's investigator (also defendant in Shirvell's suit) was supposed to have once offered to help a priest at the Ava Maria Law School wipe the hard drive belonging to another priest that contained child pornography.

The suit alleges that the investigator then told his one-time attorney Deborah Gordon about it, and since she was was Chris Armstrong's attorney, Gordon pressured him to go after Shirvell.

What's more, the lawsuit alleges that the investigator has a lesbian daughter, which motivated his investigation of Shirvell. Others involved did so for political or career reasons, the suit claims. 

It's a wild accusation and, especially given that Shirvell's dismissal has already withstood one appeal, this suit remains just that -- an accusation -- at the moment.

But it's also tediously detailed filing that makes for (let's say) interesting reading. For example, you learn that Shirvell and Cox once shook hands at a political rally, that Shirvell describes Gordon's home as "lavish," that Chris Armstrong's student residence was "fraternity-style," and that Shirvell describes Anderson Cooper as having lived "a homosexual lifestyle for the vast majority of his life."

Then there is this sad detail:

"90. On the evening of Wednesday, February 3, 2010, Plaintiff Shirvell hosted a small campaign party at his apartment in Charlotte [ED: Michigan] for Defendant Cox's supporters. The party was one of several that took place throughout the state that night. Supporters were told to watch then-Governor Granholm's annual State-of-the-State address on television, which was to be followed by Defendant Cox doing a webcast criticizing Granholm. Unfortunately, no supporters showed-up to Plaintiff Shirvell's campaign party. When Plaintiff Shirvell informed the campaign that no one showed-up, Plaintiff Shirvell was instructed to "make it look like a party" (e.g. by throwing coats across the couch), take a picture, and then upload the photo to Facebook."

That may be the most pathetic admission made in a legal filing in the history of Anglo-American jurisprudence. 

Andrew Shirvell-Mike Cox, et al lawsuit by Jeff Wattrick


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