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INDEX
Vol. CXXX, No. 65
©2022 The Michigan Daily
NEWS............................ 2
A R T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
STATEMENT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
M I C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
O P I N I O N . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
S P O R T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 1
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Trigger Warning: This article
contains descriptions of sexual
assault.
University of Michigan alumni
and survivors of former U-M
American Culture lecturer Bruce
Confoth came together at a virtual
press conference Monday morning
to announce they would be filing
a lawsuit against the University
for failing to adequately protect
students
against
a
predatory
professor.
In
total,
there
are
eight
U-M alumni — who attended
the University between 2004
and 2017 and are survivors of
Conforth’s
abuse
—
involved
with the lawsuit. They are being
represented by Michigan law firm
Grewal Law and said they will be
filing the initial complaint with
the Washington County Circuit
Court.
Several sexual assault allegations
against Conforth, including those
for inappropriate emails and rape,
came to light on April 23, 2021. It
wasn’t until 2017, Conforth retired
from the University after previously
winning the 2012 Golden Apple
Award for most outstanding U-M
instructor.
Nolan Erickson, a legal counsel
for some of the Conforth survivors,
said the University was complacent
despite knowing of Conforth’s
sexual
misconduct
allegations
during his professorship.
“Even after (the University)
learned
of
the
professor’s
misconduct because of student
complaints in 2008, it did not
prevent him from committing
further abuses or warn students
about
his
behavior,”
Erickson
said. “What followed was nearly a
decade of serial abuse in the form
of sexual harassment and sexual
abuse of students.”
Katherine
McMahan,
who
graduated from the University in
2008, is one of the survivors who
spoke at Monday’s press conference.
McMahan
said
Conforth
had
invited her and other students to a
bar outside of class one night and
bought everyone a round of drinks.
She alleged that when she got up
to use the restroom, Conforth
cornered her, grabbed her waist and
repeatedly asked her to sleep in his
home. After that incident, McMahan
said she received multiple emails
from Conforth asking her to not
report what had happened.
“He hoped that I wouldn’t
do anything rash (and that) he
had his career to think about,”
McMahan said. “Bruce knew
what he did was wrong. It was not
something a professor should do
with a student and he was trying
to guilt me into staying silent.”
VANESSA KIEFER
Daily Staff Reporter
michigandaily.com
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Wednesday, February 9, 2022
ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY ONE YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM
Anderson protestors say work is far from
over following $490 million settlement
Vaughn, Christian reflect on agreement, continue to advocate for stronger misconduct policies at UMich
Survivors of the late University
Athletic Doctor Robert Anderson
say they are not done protesting
the University of Michigan for
strengthening sexual misconduct
policies and protecting students
on campus, following the $490
million
settlement
with
the
University.
102 days after former U-M
football player Jonathan Vaughn
first began protesting outside
former University President Mark
Schlissel’s house, the University
announced — after over 15 months
of mediation — they had reached
a $490 million settlement with
1,050 survivors of the late Dr.
Robert Anderson.
Vaughn told The Michigan
Daily the settlement was an
important milestone, but his work
is far from over.
“It’s an amazing win in the
battle, but it doesn’t even remotely
end the war,” Vaughn said. “My
attitude is really business as usual.”
While
Vaughn
said
he
appreciates that a settlement
was reached and that it is an
important part of the healing
process
for
some
of
the
survivors, he said he is still
waiting to hear many of the
details of the settlement.
“We know what the number is,
we don’t know all the provisions …
We’re looking at probably a 60 or
70 page document when it’s all said
and done,” Vaughn said.
The
settlement
—
which
provides $460 million to the
current claimants and allots
the remaining $30 million to
claimants who opt in before July
31, 2023 — was widely reported
to include a clause stipulating
Vaughn end his protest.
Vaughn said he wasn’t aware
that his leaving was part of the
settlement and was still evaluating
the next steps for his protest.
“I’m
in
a
wait-and-see
mode (about the status of his
protest) because I don’t think
anything has changed,” Vaughn
said. “There still needs to be
institutional reform within the
University of Michigan as it
pertains to student health, sexual
assault and rape cover-ups.”
‘Tell them what you allowed
‘Tell them what you allowed
to happen to us’: Sexual
to happen to us’: Sexual
assault survivors of former
assault survivors of former
U-M professor Bruce
U-M professor Bruce
Conforth take legal action
Conforth take legal action
MARTHA LEWAND &
JUSTIN O’BEIRNE
Daily Staff Reporters
Eight U-M alumni sue University for
failing to protect students
DOMINICK SOKOTOFF/Daily
See ‘TELL THEM, Page 2
The University of Michigan’s
Office of Multi-Ethnic Student
Affairs hosted the opening ceremony
of Black History Month Tuesday
afternoon. The opening ceremony
consisted of spoken word, music
performances and a keynote address
delivered by Dr. Naomi André,
professor of Women’s Studies.
MESA’s theme for Black History
Month 2022 is Black Joy. According
to
the
Black
History
Month
committee, “Black Joy shows that as
Black people, despite the centuries of
trauma we have experienced, we are
proud to be who we are. No matter
where we come from or what we
identify as, we are one and we are
happy to be Black.”
The opening ceremony consisted
of a spoken word performance by
LSA sophomore Benjamin Colding
titled “Joy is Pride”.
“I can go down this Zoom call
and bet money that dang near all
of us have been slammed, sneered
at, slided and slandered for, I don’t
know, wearing caps indoors, wearing
hoods when it’s cold, letting our hair
chill in its natural state, and just not
giving in to many unsung pressures
emitted by an abundance of forces in
society,” Colding said. “And instead of
dropping out, and instead decided to
pursue their ideal images of successes
with nothing but twinkles in their
eyes.”
Colding said he feels pride and joy
for the accomplishments of the Black
community.
“From dang near nothing, we built
a culture that would sing its influence
globally, and ain’t there power in
that?” Colding said. “With our
predecessors as our teachers have we
gained a top-tier education and ain’t
there strength in that? With nothing
but our hands and feet did we imbue
ourselves within an abundance of
skills and talents and ain’t there joy
in that?”
Neika White, a U-M alum and
administrative assistant for MESA,
spoke at the opening ceremony and
said she believes Black joy is knowing
you belong everywhere you go.
“Black joy means that so many
things keep happening to my people,
I have to stand up and make a choice
everyday that am I going to show up,
or am I just going to be there,” White
said. “Sometimes you have no choice
to decide whether you are going to be
there or not because the minute you
show up you stand out.”
Dillon Cathro, program manager
for MESA, also spoke at the event
and said Black History Month is
important as a space for Black people
to share their experiences and joy
since these spaces are hard to come
by.
“Blackness is not a monolithic
experience,” Cathro said. “Black,
Blackness,
Afro-descendentness,
whatever you wanna call it, means
something
different
to
every
person,” Dylan said. “But that
experience being Black is unified.
It’s not everyday that we get to
have a space like this to share in
commonality, to share in joy, because
we are oftentimes talking about
things that are not joyous when it
applies to Black communities.”
CAROLINE WANG
Daily Staff Reporter
Campus community
talks Black Joy at
opening ceremony of
Black History Month
The Ofce of Multi-Ethnic Student Afairs
hosts music performances, keynote address
BUSINESS
CAMPUS LIFE
Read more at MichiganDaily.com
ALI CHAMI/Daily
Seven Michigan Starbucks locations
unionize for greater autonomy, safer
COVID-19 protocol
Majority of employees at these MI chains have signed union authorization cards
Starbucks employees at seven
Michigan locations — five in Ann
Arbor — announced they are
moving to unionize in protest of the
company ending hazard pay during
the COVID-19 pandemic as well as
the limited safety protocols.
The news came after several
other Starbucks locations across
the
country
signaled
their
plans to unionize, including the
first company-owned store to
successfully unionize in Buffalo,
New
York.
The
locations
in
Michigan submitted their petition
for union elections to the National
Labor Relations Board on Jan. 28.
The Michigan locations will be
organizing with Workers United
(SEIU) and will also be joining
the Starbucks Workers United
movement. According to a press
release obtained by The Michigan
Daily, a majority of workers at the
Michigan locations signed union
authorization cards indicating their
support of the move to unionize.
News of the unionization came
as a result of rising frustrations
among workers at the Michigan
locations. Ryder Meilstrup-Eady, a
shift supervisor at the Washtenaw
Avenue location, detailed a harsh
work environment, saying he and
his coworkers often joked about
the toll their work experiences had
on their lives and relationships
with other workers.
“We all like to joke about work
trauma, or how work trauma
brings us together,” Meilstrup-
Eady said. “But honestly, that’s not
really a joke.”
Starbucks employees also said
another source of stress falls on
understaffing, a factor that many
local and national businesses
have recently experienced due
to COVID-19. Jina Henderson —
an employee at the Washtenaw
Avenue location — detailed how
understaffing affects them, especially
in the midst of increased call-offs due
to employees needing to call in sick.
RILEY HODDER
Daily Staff Reporter
Read more at MichiganDaily.com