Some of you may remember Andrew Shirvell, the former assistant attorney general here in Michigan who was fired after waging a bigoted and vicious campaign against a former student leader at the University of Michigan because that leader was openly gay. His latest attempt to appeal that firing has failed, and the board that heard the appeal minced few words:
Shirvell was fired for using state resources in his campaign against Armstrong during 2010. Armstrong, who is openly gay, drew Shirvell’s ire to the point where Shirvell created a blog solely dedicated to criticizing Armstrong, including putting a swastika over a picture of Armstrong.
Three members of the state of Michigan Civil Service Commission’s Employment Relations Board disagreed with Shirvell’s argument that his criticisms were an exercise in free speech. Even though Shirvell attempted to paint his dismissal as a political move, the ruling handed down by the board stated he put himself in that position.
“Appellant (Shirvell) has stated that he was thrown under the bus by Appellee (Department of the Attorney General) in the interests of political expediency at the altar of political correctness,” the ruling stated.
“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.”
Shirvell also fired a lawsuit against the target of his hate campaign, but that lawsuit was dismissed. Would it surprise you to hear that Shirvell graduated from Ave Maria Law School, home of the Thomas More Law Center?
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John Hinkle
July 19, 2012 at 10:38 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
It never seems to occur to these bozos that, even after losing multiple appeals, they might be wrong. Their righteous indignation is a bottomless well.
slc1
July 19, 2012 at 10:38 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Would it surprise you to hear that Shirvell graduated from Ave Maria Law School, home of the Thomas More Law Center?
Right up there with the “law schools” at Regent and Liberty.
sisu
July 19, 2012 at 10:50 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Shirvell is really unhinged. I remember reading about him on Above the Law when this was all coming to light. Didn’t he get himself banned from campus for stalking Armstrong?
And IIRC, much of the official reason for his firing was because he was maintaining his hate blog during work hours, using his work computer. Not so smart, that one.
Hercules Grytpype-Thynne
July 19, 2012 at 10:58 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Classic. Except that in this case it was Shirvell who flagged the bus down in the first place.
Aliasalpha
July 19, 2012 at 11:08 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Has anyone ever been worth listening to after they’ve used the phrase “the altar of political correctness”?
abb3w
July 19, 2012 at 11:15 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I wonder if a pattern of such disciplinary action against graduates might form a basis for ABA re-examination of an institution’s accreditation?
raven
July 19, 2012 at 11:36 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Named after a Catholic saint famous for killing heretics.
Being a murderer is no problem for Catholic saints. Saint Bellarmino is famous for burning Giordano Bruno at the stake and persecuting Galileo.
There is a Catholic college in Kentucky named after him. I assume the students are very orthodox and docile.
d cwilson
July 19, 2012 at 11:36 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
No.
The Daily Show did an piece on him a while back. My impression of him was as a walking stereotype of the self-hating closet case.
bbgunn
July 19, 2012 at 11:41 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
So, Shirvell flagged down the bus and it ran over him. He filed an appeal, and in his attempt to reverse bus, bus ran over him again? Andrew Shirvell: as smart as a speed bump.
Raging Bee
July 19, 2012 at 2:42 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Didn’t he get himself banned from campus for stalking Armstrong?
I’m very skeptical of the oft-repeated claim that gay-haters tend to be closeted gays themselves; but in this instance, the actual stalking screams “closet case” loud and clear. This Shirvell guy has SERIOUS unresolved personal issues.
Artor
July 19, 2012 at 3:28 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
While I’ll be the first to admit that my gay-dar is not entirely reliable, Shirvell sets it screaming every time I see a pic, hear a clip, or read anything he’s written. The man is a case study in repression, and all I can do is shake my head & say, “Wow…”
billydee
July 19, 2012 at 3:56 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
“Shirvell also fired a lawsuit against the target of his hate campaign…” How does one fire a lawsuit? Just like John Freshwater’s case, this one will probably never go away.
Nathair
July 19, 2012 at 6:48 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
We should have guessed that his defense came out of the Hail Mary School of Law playbook.