Michigan State University Trustee Rema Vassar has filed a federal lawsuit against current and former members of the Board of Trustees and other university officials, including President Kevin Guskiewicz, accusing them of orchestrating a campaign of intentional discrimination and retaliation against her. The suit marks the latest and most consequential turn in a years-long clash that began when Vassar, the board's first Black woman to serve as chair, started pushing for more transparency at the university.
According to The Detroit News, Vassar claims officials stripped her of committee assignments, trustee privileges and university-funded legal representation after she challenged board leadership. The lawsuit was reported filed Monday, Oct. 19, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, according to ClickOnDetroit.
Vassar says in the lawsuit that she faced retaliation for advocating the release of withheld documents related to Larry Nassar investigations, for seeking transparency after the February 2023 campus mass shooting, and for raising concerns about the treatment of Black students, per the same Free Press account. She became the first Black woman to chair MSU's Board of Trustees in 2023, and the complaint frames her subsequent treatment as punishment for that advocacy rather than legitimate discipline.
From Board Chair to Defendant's List
Vassar resigned as board chair in March 2024 after a university-hired law firm released a 66-page investigation accusing her of bullying and violating the board's code of ethics, findings she has disputed. The same investigation, conducted by Miller & Chevalier, found that three MSU trustees violated board bylaws or policies, according to WOOD TV.
Days after the report's release, the board voted 6-2 to strip Vassar and fellow trustee Dennis Denno of their assignments and liaison positions, per Bridge Michigan. That report had found the pair engaged in conduct exceeding their authority and created a fear of retaliation among administrators and other MSU personnel. The board also voted to suspend Vassar from board activities, except for duties she retained as an elected official, and referred her to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for possible removal, according to the earlier account from mlive.com.
Whitmer declined that request in a May 30 letter, according to the Lansing State Journal, telling the board her decision should not be interpreted as condoning either trustee's conduct. Vassar remained an elected trustee throughout, having stepped down only from the chair position.
New Claims of Racist Threats and DEI Retaliation
New Claims of Racist Threats and DEI Retaliation The lawsuit also alleges racist threats against Vassar; her home address was posted online. Vassar has separately alleged she faced retaliation for speaking out against the university's decision to roll back its diversity, equity and inclusion policies, according to WILX. Vassar has also objected to the board's ethics code, calling it a free-speech violation and unconstitutional.
The complaint names Guskiewicz, general counsel Brian Quinn, board chair Brianna Scott, trustee Rebecca Bahar-Cook, former trustees Dan Kelly and Dianne Byrum, and board secretary and chief of staff Stefan J. Fletcher, along with 10 unidentified individuals Vassar says participated in the alleged conduct.
Lawyer Says Vassar Punished for Doing Her Job
Jonathan R. Marko, lead co-counsel for Vassar, said the lawsuit alleges officials punished her for challenging leadership and seeking transparency. Marko said voters elected Vassar to ask hard questions and exercise independent judgment — not to fall in line with the rest of the board.
Vassar is seeking a jury trial along with compensatory and punitive damages, reinstatement of her committee assignments and trustee privileges, and an end to what she describes as interference with university-funded legal representation. MSU has said it does not comment on litigation.
