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Ann Arbor, Michigan
Tuesday, February 3, 2015

CELEBRATING OUR ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIFTH YEAR OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM

If passed, children 

of unmarried 
couples would 
receive benefits

By ALLANA AKHTAR

Daily Staff Reporter

State Rep. Jeff Irwin (D–Ann 

Arbor) proposed a bill on Thurs-
day to legalize unwed, two-par-
ent adoption in Michigan. The 
issue originally catalyzed what 
is soon to be a U.S. Supreme 
Court case, DeBoer v. Snyder, 
challenging the constitutional-
ity of Michigan’s same-sex mar-
riage ban.

Before taking their case to 

state and federal court, Hazel 
Park residents April DeBoer and 
Jayne Rowse were barred from 
completing 
a 
second-parent 

adoption for their child. Though 
the two initially sought to chal-
lenge this law, the case shifted to 
a broader consideration of same-
sex marriage.

A couple would opt for two-

parent adoption if one member 
is either the biological parent of 
a child or the sole legal guard-
ian in an adoption. The other 
member of the couple would not 
be either, but wishes to legally 
adopt the child so as to officially 
be recognized as its parent.

Irwin’s legislation, House Bill 

4133, would guarantee the same 
benefits to children of single 
parents or unmarried couples 
as those given to children of 
married couples. These benefits 
include health insurance, autho-
rization for medical care and 
continued care by one parent in 
case of the death or separation of 
the other.

“Studies 
have 
shown 
the 

importance to children of main-
taining a safe, loving home with 
two stable parents,” Irwin said 
in a statement. “This bill will 
ensure that more children in 
Michigan can enjoy benefits of 
two parents who share all of the 
rights and responsibilities of 
parenthood.”

In March 2014, U.S. District 

Judge Bernard Friedman struck 

New assessment 
procedures led to 
snow day decision

By MICHAEL SUGERMAN

Daily News Editor

In October, the University 

reviewed and updated its guide-
lines for responding to severe 
weather. The results of the eval-

uation process took full effect 
Monday as classes were canceled 
for a snow day.

Under this new protocol, 

called the Emergency Reduction 
in Operations, the University’s 
Division of Public Safety and 
Security spearheads evaluation 
of whether canceling classes 
is necessary, and reports their 
assessment to the University 
president, who makes the final 
call.

In a release Sunday night, 

DPSS Executive Director Eddie 
Washington wrote that danger-
ous road conditions had played a 
main role in his recommendation 
to cancel classes.

“Snowfall totals of 12 to 18 

inches with high winds are mak-
ing the roads dangerous, espe-
cially for the many faculty, staff 
and students who live outside 
the city of Ann Arbor,” he said.

University spokesman Rick 

Fitzgerald said Monday that 
Washington’s recommendation 
was based on consultation with 
numerous sources, including the 
National Weather Service, the 
city of Ann Arbor and Washt-
enaw County officials.

Washington 
subsequently 

relayed information to individu-
als from the Office of the Vice 
President for Communications, 
the office of the Provost, Uni-

RITA MORRIS/Daily

LSA freshman Lauren Hubbard and Kinesiology freshman Danni Doppelt enjoy their snow day Monday by sledding on trays down the hill across from Stamps 
Auditorium.

Judge upholds 

defamation lawsuit 

against previous 

state official 

By SHOHAM GEVA 
and EMMA KINERY

Daily News Editor and 

Daily Staff Reporter

The U.S. Court of Appeals for 

the Sixth Circuit upheld a defa-
mation lawsuit Monday against 
Andrew Shirvell, former state 
assistant attorney general, over 
his harassment of a University 
student.

Shirvell was accused of anti-

gay rhetoric against University 
alum Chris Armstrong, the first 
openly gay Michigan Student 
Assembly president. The Michi-
gan Student Assembly is now 
known as Central Student Gov-
ernment.

In 2010, Shirvell was fired after 

creating a blog titled “Chris Arm-
strong Watch,” which argued 
Armstrong was promoting a 
“radical homosexual agenda.” 
Mike Cox, Michigan’s attorney 
general at the time, wrote that 
the firing was not due to his exer-
cising of his First Amendment 
rights, but for his “harassing con-
duct.”

In 
2011, 
Armstrong 
sued 

Shirvell for defamation. A year 
later, Armstrong won the case, 
which ordered that Shirvell pay 
him $4.5 million in damages.

Shirvell appealed the decision 

shortly thereafter.

Options expand to 
include programs in 
Yiddish, Intergroup 

Relations, others

By CARLY NOAH

Daily Staff Reporter

From programs focused on 

language and culture to art and 
entrepreneurship, the College of 
Literature Science and Arts is 
offering five new minors begin-
ning this semester.

Three of these are completely 

new and offered in LSA: Yid-
dish Studies, Arab and Muslim 
American Culture, and Inter-
group Relations Education. The 
other two — Art and Design and 
Entrepreneurship — were not 
formerly available to LSA stu-
dents, but have been officially 
incorporated into the LSA cur-
riculum.

JoAnn Peraino, LSA curricu-

lum and enrollment manager, 
said the qualifications for creat-
ing a new minor are often based 
student interest, though mul-
tiple departments cannot offer 
the same minor.

Peraino added that once a 

minor has been created within 
a department, the department is 
responsible for overseeing that 
the minor is attracting student 
interest.

“If a minor doesn’t seem to be 

taking off or one that has been 
in existence for a while begins 
to lose interest, we may retire 
minors,” she said. “But they 
typically stay on the books for 

a long, long time. We haven’t 
retired any in a long time 
because all of our minors have 
at least a few students in them.”

Intergroup Relations 

Education

The minor in Intergroup 

Relations 
Education 
focuses 

on creating discussions around 
issues of social identity, inequal-
ity and discrimination.

The minor, which is a mini-

mum of 19 credits and a maxi-
mum of 22, begins with students 
enrolling in two core courses: 
Intergroup Dialogues and Foun-
dations of Intergroup Relations.

Following those classes, stu-

dents must choose one of two 
tracks — either the Facilitative 
Leadership track or the Cam-
pus Communities and Research 
track. Students also elect one 
elective LSA course that is relat-
ed to intergroup relations and 
complete the capstone course in 
intergroup relations.

Kelly Maxwell, IGR co-direc-

tor, said the Intergroup Rela-
tions Department celebrated its 
25th year in 2013.

“Last year our campus really 

began talking about issues of 
inclusion and became more 
involved with student activism,” 
Maxwell said. “It made us real-
ize that it’s time to formalize the 
minor.”

Last year, members of the 

University’s 
Black 
Student 

Union lobbied administrators 
to address a series of demands 
designed to address stagnant 
minority enrollment and cam-
pus climate, among other issues.

In November, the Univer-

Investigation 

results presented 
to City Council 
Monday night

By ANASTASSIOS 
ADAMOPOULOS

Daily Staff Reporter

During Monday’s meeting 

of the Ann Arbor City Council, 
Ann Arbor Police Chief John 
Seto responded to the Washt-
enaw 
County 
Prosecutor’s 

decision not to press criminal 
charges against Ann Arbor 
Police Officer David Ried 
following the fatal shooting 
of Ann Arbor resident Aura 
Rosser.

The meeting also addressed 

the city’s response to the pre-

vious weekend’s snowstorm, 
as well as submitting an amic-
us brief in the case challeng-
ing the state’s ban on same-sex 
marriage, which will be heard 
by the U.S. Supreme Court in 
the spring.

During the police chief’s 

remarks, 
Seto 
expressed 

his condolences to Rosser’s 
friends and family and added 
that Rosser’s death was a 
tragic outcome of a justified 
response. He noted that Ried 
is a fine and professional offi-
cer with sound judgment.

Rosser was shot and killed 

in November while two Ann 
Arbor police officers were 
responding to a report of 
domestic violence. The pros-
ecutor’s report said Rosser 
approached the officer’s with 
a knife and declined to put it 
down when asked by police.

“The community expects 

its officers to resolve a wide 
range of conflict,” Seto said. 
“When doing so, they have a 
duty to protect citizens who 
are in danger and they have 
a right to protect themselves. 
Both were required of Officers 
Ried and Raab on November 
9.”

Seto said while the Ann 

Arbor 
Police 
Department 

awaits the delivery of 86 body 
cameras, the department is 
developing training and pol-
icy for the use of cameras by 
police officers. He noted that 
he has added diversity aware-
ness and autism awareness to 
the department 2015 training 
calendar. He also said he plans 
to continue working with the 
Ann Arbor Human Rights 
Commission in the coming 

DAVID SONG/Daily

Mayor Christopher Taylor discusses the city’s listing as a supporting municipality in an amicus brief for a Supreme 
Court case, DeBoer vs. Rick Snyder, at City Hall Monday.

See COURT, Page 3
See SETO, Page 3
See MINORS, Page 3

See ADOPTION, Page 3
See WEATHER, Page 3

INDEX
Vol. CXXIV, No. 59
©2015 The Michigan Daily
michigandaily.com

NEWS............................2

OPINION.......................4

ARTS............................. 5

SPORTS.........................7

SUDOKU........................2

CL ASSIFIEDS.................6

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WEATHER 
TOMORROW

HI: 29

LO: 2

Legislation 
could allow 
two-parent 
adoption

Updated severe weather 
policy guided cancellation

LSA launches 
new minors for 
Winter 2015

Chief Seto talks decision 
following Rosser shooting

Court rules 
in favor of 
former ‘U’ 

student

LAWSUIT
ACADEMICS

GOVERNMENT

