News Highlights from the Last 7 Days

Michigan State University established a temporary office to coordinate its efforts in response to the Feb. 13 shooting. The Office for Resource and Support Coordination will provide a central point of contact for those affected by the shooting, work with campus partners to find clinical and nonclinical care for those who would like additional support and resources, develop trauma-informed communication protocols for when the school needs to share key decisions with the campus, provide recommendations for how to implement and educate community members about new safety and security measures on campus and coordinate long-term programs to promote healing and resilience. In addition, the school announced that it has hired a third-party risk management firm, Security Risk Management Consultants, to lead a review of its response to the shooting, including police actions, campus support and communications protocols. The firm’s recommendations will be shared with the public when the review is finished.

The Michigan Education Department is investigating the former East Lansing High School principal who resigned after school officials discovered he falsely claimed he had a doctorate degree, the Lansing State Journal reported. Shannon Mayfield stated in his application to the school that he was expecting to earn his doctorate degree from Wayne State University soon, going so far as to falsify college transcripts a few months later claiming he had completed the degree. Mayfield met with officials from East Lansing Public Schools on March 7 to discuss the matter and resigned three days later. The state confirmed with the Journal that it has opened an investigation into Mayfield, and, speaking generally, a spokesperson said the department can revoke or suspend teaching and administrative credentials if it sees fit.

Vandals painted violent anti-LGBTQ+ graffiti over two Arts Council of Greater Lansing murals under the Interstate 496 overpass on Cedar Street in Lansing. The incident follows the vandalism of an LGBTQ+ display at the city welcome sign on Michigan Avenue last December. And this year, lesbian-owned Strange Matter Coffee closed for a few days after receiving a threatening letter. Activists painted pro-queer messages over some of the grafitti. Mayor Andy Schor denounced the vandalism and said if the graffiti cannot be removed, the city would ask the artists if they want to repaint them. 

The toddler who was killed in a house fire at 204 W. Cavanaugh Road in Lansing last June may have started it while playing with a lighter, according to a Fire Department report. Damian Shessia, who was 23 months old, had started a fire the day before, the boyfriend of the child’s mother told authorities. The Fire Department found evidence that the fire was started with a lighter or other open-flame device. Fire Marshal Kerwin Norwood said the evidence pointed to a “child or children” playing with fire. Two children, ages 3 and 4, and the family’s mother were injured in the fire. 

Charlie’s Bar & Grill in Potterville faced protests after anti-LGBTQ+ messages appeared on its Facebook page, WLNS reported. The bar claimed it was hacked, but protesters blamed manager John Devine. The posts have been removed. Charlie’s was in the news in 2020 for violating pandemic rules by not requiring customers to mask. Video showed Devine calling a state Liquor Control Commission agent an obscene name. The bar lost its license for 30 days. 

A complaint against a Mason councilwoman was dismissed unanimously by the city’s Board of Ethics. In February, Council member Rita Vogel proposed the city create a Malcolm X Day of Observance to honor the civil rights leader, who attended high school in Mason for a year and a half. She said, “Gatekeeping representation by refusing to create space for people of color in Mason is white supremacy.” The City Council vetoed the proposal, but city residents Vicki and Tom Whipple accused Vogel of claiming the city at large is racist and white supremacist. They filed a formal complaint and sought to have Vogel removed. The complaint did not cite any existing ethics codes, and the couple did not send the board an updated complaint after being asked for one multiple times. The ethics board reviewed the original complaint and found that Vogel had not violated any city rules.

MSU will break ground on its new multicultural center Friday (April 21). Interim President Teresa K. Woodruff, Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer Jabbar R. Bennet, Board of Trustees Chair Rema Vassar and other school officials will break ground at 2:30 p.m. at the northeast corner of West Shaw and Farm lanes. Construction crews will begin pouring the concrete foundation in the coming weeks. The center is expected to be completed by fall 2024. In addition, MSU is hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its newly renovated School of Packaging 3:30 p.m. Thursday (April 20), featuring speeches from Woodruff, Vassar, School of Packaging Director Matthew P. Daum and other officials.