TATE LAFRENIER & LOLA YANG 

Focal Point Reporters

GOT A NEWS TIP?
Call 734-418-4115 or e-mail 
news@michigandaily.com and let us know.

INDEX
Vol. CXXXI, No. 64
©2022 The Michigan Daily

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

ARTS.............................4

STATEMENT.......................6

M I C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 

O P I N I O N . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

S P O R T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 1
michigandaily.com

For more stories and coverage, visit
Follow The Daily 
on Instagram, 
@michigandaily

Read more at MichiganDaily.com

Daily investigation finds University Housing 

lacked concern and protocols for ResStaff safety

21 current, former resident staf members allege mishandling of employee concerns

Content Warning: mentions of sexual assault, 

sexual harassment

On Sept. 8, 2020, over 100 residential 

advisors –– University housing staff members 
consisting of student employees –– at the 
University of Michigan voted to strike, 
frustrated by hazardous pandemic-induced 
working conditions. 

The University reached a deal with 

residential 
staff 

members 
two 

weeks later. As part of this agreement, the 
University agreed to provide ResStaff with 
updated data on COVID-19 cases in residence 
halls and daily communication regarding case 
numbers as well. 

They also promised the formation of the 

Residential Experience Council (REC), a 
biweekly forum for residential staff members 
to voice their concerns to University Housing 
administrators.

A Michigan Daily investigation into 

University Housing policies found that 
University Housing has reneged on its 
commitment to ensure residential staff 

members’ safety after the 

Fall 2020 strike. 

In August and September 2021, University 

Housing did not hold any REC meetings 
according to an email obtained by The Daily 
sent on Oct. 19, in which Director of Residence 
Education Jasmine Clay scheduled the first 
REC meeting two months into the semester. 

Clay wrote that meeting frequency will be 

reduced from biweekly to monthly. In addition, 
the email also included a guideline that 
regulated residential staff members’ behavior 
during REC meetings.

According to the email, REC meetings will 

not be used 

to 
discuss 

“personnel 
matters 

regarding specific supervisors of (residential 
staff 
members). 
Building 
representatives 

should follow the designated Department 
communication route to share personnel 
feedback,” Clay wrote.

For 
residential 
staff 
members, 
the 

“designated 
Department 
communication 

route” is their hall director, an in-dorm 
supervisor who directly oversees everyday 
work. Circumventing hall directors and 
reporting directly to their supervisors is heavily 
discouraged by University Housing, according 
to interviews with 21 current and former 
residential staff members.

These staff members allege this prevents 

some safety concerns from reaching University 
Housing administrators. 

In an email statement to The Daily, Amir 

Baghdadchi, Senior Associate Director of 
University Housing, commented on University 
Housing’s reporting processes.

“ResStaff can always find a first resource 

in their direct supervisor, who typically lives 
in the same building alongside their ResStaff, 
present and available to talk,” Baghdadchi said. 
“In addition, one of the strengths of our student 
staff program is that each member is part of 
a larger cohort of fellow ResStaff, including 
more experienced RAs, and some of the most 
valuable support comes from that community.”

A Daily investigation found University 

Housing failed to properly respond to 
numerous 
undisclosed 
safety 
concerns 

brought by residential staff members 
between 2018 and 2021.

Before the strike in Fall 2020, residential 

staff members were prohibited from 
speaking to the media, according to Letter of 
Appointment (LOA) documents obtained by 
The Daily. 

“ResStaff may not communicate publicly 

(including to the news media, in social media, 
or other public communication venues) about 
professional matters internal to University 
Housing without authorization from a 
supervisor,” the policy stated.

Current LOA documents, also obtained 

by The Daily, do not outline forbidden actions 
such as engagement with the media. The 
LOA from 2019-2020 was 12 pages long; the 
updated LOA for 2021-2022 is only one page 

long.

Despite the policy change, numerous 

residential staff members allege that hall 
directors continue to discourage interviews 
with the media. They fear that the vagueness 
of their current contracts would allow the 
University to easily terminate their employment.

Baghdadchi wrote in an email to The Daily 

that residential staff members are free to engage 
with the media. 

“Student staff have always been free to 

express their personal points of view as students 
to the media,” Baghdadchi wrote. “To ensure 
accuracy, factual questions about Michigan 
Housing are handled by professional staff.” 

Baghdadchi also wrote that he acknowledges 

the difficulty of residential staff work and 
shared the support provided to these staff 
members by the University.

“Resident advisors and diversity peer 

educators, known as ResStaff, have some of 
the toughest and most critical student jobs on 
campus, and we know that for them to support 
residents, they need strong support from 
Housing,” Baghdadchi wrote. 

Former residential staff member Isra 

Elshafei also spoke of the difficulty of residential 
staff work.

“It was a constant feeling of being a pawn in 

their system. We were being stripped of being 
a student,” Elshafei said. “We were no longer a 
student, we were just an RA.” 

The Daily spoke with a former residential 

staff member, who asked to remain anonymous 
for fear of professional repercussions. In this 

article, she will be referred to as Alice.

Bagdadchi declined to comment on Alice’s 

experiences. 

“The University does not comment on 

personnel matters,” Bagdadchi wrote.

Survivors 
of 
the 
late 

doctor 
Robert 
Anderson 

will be receiving a $490 
million 
settlement 
from 

the University of Michigan, 
according to attorney Jamie 
White 
on 
Wednesday 

morning. 

The settlement agreement, 

which 
White 
said 
was 

reached 
Tuesday 
night, 

comes after over 15 months of 
mediation between Anderson 
survivors and the University. 

The 
mediation 
– 
which 

initially began in Oct. 2020 
– represents 1,050 survivors 
who have come forward with 
sexual misconduct allegations 
against Anderson. It is not 
related to the class-action suit 
that was filed on behalf of all 
Anderson survivors in May 
2021. 

Since 
then, 
over 
950 

survivors 
– 
possibly 
the 

largest number in history 
– 
 
have 
come 
forward 

with allegations of sexual 
misconduct 
against 

Anderson. 

White, 
who 
represents 

78 of the survivors, told 
The Michigan Daily the 
settlement still needs to be 
approved by a judge and the 
survivors themselves. He said 
while no amount of money 
can compensate the victims 
for what they endured, the 
University 
taking 
some 

accountability in this case is a 
promising sign.

“It’s always difficult to put 

a value on what is fair and 
what is not fair when it comes 
to having your childhood 
taken away,” White said. 
“Based on my conversations 
with my clients, even prior to 

yesterday, (I think) that this 
is going to be acceptable to 
them.”

According to a U-M press 

release obtained by The Daily, 
the settlement – pending 
approval from the Board of 
Regents – will provide $460 
million to the 1,050 victims 
and the remaining $30 million 
will be reserved for any future 
claimants who participate 
before July 31, 2023. The 
settlement has approval from 
98% of the claimants. 

RONI KANE & GEORGE 

WEYKAMP

Daily News Editors

Over 1,000 Anderson survivors reach $490 million 

settlement with the University of Michigan

98% of claimants approve agreement following the 15 months of mediation

Students, faculty reflect on Schlissel’s 
termination, hopeful for future healing

In the days after the U-M President’s firing, campus 

community reacts to impact on ‘U’

ANNA FIFELSKI
Daily Staff Reporter

In the days following former University of 

Michigan President Mark Schlissel’s termination, 
students, faculty and staff have voiced their 
opinions on the impact that Schlissel’s departure, 
and the introduction of interim President Mary Sue 
Coleman, will have on the University. 

While some have taken to social media to join the 

conversation — making memes about the contents 
of his emails as well as critiquing his vernacular 
and his Pizza House order — others have released 
statements condemning Schlissel’s actions and 
warning the community to be mindful of the 
“memes, jokes, and comments” surrounding the 
situation. 

Business sophomore Faith Richardson said the 

emails gave insights about Schlissel’s character in 
addition to his relationship with a subordinate.

“(The emails) gave you a strange insight into 

former President Schlissel and just little things 
about (his life),” Richardson said. “Like ‘You only 
tip 10% to Pizza House’, or, we’re all worried about 
COVID and he’s out here being like, ‘Oh, when can 
we go to Paris’ or whatever.”

LSA sophomore Keara Broome said she was 

happy to hear about Schlissel’s termination because 
she didn’t support his handling of the GEO strike, 
his COVID-19 policies, and other University issues. 
However, Broome said she was uncomfortable with 
the nature of how Schlissel was dismissed.

“As funny as it is to see the memes about it and 

to see everybody posting on Yik Yak about it, it’s 
awful. Like, I can’t forget that this is super gross 
and exploitative,” Broome said. “Obviously, power 
imbalances and sexual misconduct from those in 
authority is not some kind of crazy surprise. But 
then this just kind of piles on to the University’s 
stack of issues.”

Richardson said she was surprised by the 

announcement of Schlissel’s firing but is looking 
forward to the healing impact that it may have for 
the survivors of sexual assault from the University.

“I almost see this as a win for Jon Vaughn,” 

Richardson said. “He has been protesting outside 
of Schlissel’s house. I mean, it’s obviously not the 
outcome anyone was expecting. I don’t think this is 
the end of the fight. In a way, it was like a small win 
for (the people) who have been so frustrated with 
the administration and even the Board of Regents to 
just kind of be like, ‘Okay, something right happened 
for once.’”

In an email to The Michigan Daily, Art and 

Design professor Rebekah Modrak wrote she is 
looking forward to a permanent replacement for 
Schlissel. Modrak also wrote she is specifically 
hoping for a president who is humble, kind and 
ethical in addition to someone who takes action 
when they hear about violations and who appoints 
critical co-leaders.

“There’s an army of administrators who 

ensure that reports of violations are suppressed or 
obstructed,” Modrak wrote. “The culture of this 
university, from the Regents through the upper 
administrative levels, is one that is autocratic 
and discourages dissent. It’s completely against 
academic principles involving criticality and the 
search for truth. I’ve asked critical questions 
in meetings and had my hand slapped as a 
public warning to me and to other members of 
the committee not to get out of line. Schlissel’s 
departure will have no impact on them.” 

Looking ahead, Modrak wrote she expects little 

to change in terms of the University’s handling of 
sexual misconduct, despite the terms of Schlissel’s 
dismissal. 

University spokesperson Rick Fitzgerald told 

The Daily in an email that the University’s updated 
sexual misconduct policies prohibit teacher-learner 
and supervisor-supervisee relationships. 

“The university is going to extraordinary 

measures to put critical protections in place on 
top of earlier protections,” Fitzgerald wrote. “We 
continue to work with the nationally recognized 
consulting firm of Guidepost Solutions on additional 
measures.”

Read more at MichigaDaily.
com

michigandaily.com
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Wednesday, January 26, 2022

ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY ONE YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM

Design by Erin Shi

TESS CROWLEY/Daily

‘I didn’t trust being 

in the dorms’

Read more at MichiganDaily.com

