Michigan Assistant Attorney General Andrew Shirvell has taken a voluntary leave of absence after generating national attention over a controversial blog that ridicules and denounces the University of Michigan’s student body president.
Joy Yearout, a spokeswoman for Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox, said this morning that media reports saying Cox suspended Shirvell were inaccurate.
Just a day after telling Anderson Cooper that Andrew Shirvell’s job was safe, Mike Cox has suspended Andrew Shirvell, according to the Detroit News:
Attorney General Mike Cox changed his stance Thursday, suspending Andrew Shirvell after the assistant attorney general attracted national attention for a controversial blog that ridicules and denounces a University of Michigan student leader for his gay advocacy, religious beliefs and character.
The suspension came a day after Cox told CNN he didn’t intend to fire Shirvell, citing civil service rules that protect government employees from being “fired willy-nilly” for exercising their rights of free speech.
Cox said he hadn’t earlier read all of Shirvell’s blog, “Chris Armstrong Watch,” that dogs Armstrong, the 21-year-old, openly gay president of U-M’s student government and accuses him of “anti-Christian behavior,” “mocking God,” promoting homosexuality and trying “to recruit your sons and daughters” into the gay lifestyle.
“I’m at fault here,” Cox said. “I’ve been saying for weeks that (Shirvell’s) been acting like a bully, that his behavior is immature, but it’s after-hours and protected by the First Amendment.”
Too bad, so sad. I wonder if Governor Jennifer Granholm’s tweet shaming Cox for his poor judgment had anything to do with it.
[h/t Joe]
