Andrew Shirvell, Who Hounded Gay Student, Now Claims Victim Status
If Andrew Shirvell represents the vanguard in the crusade against the 鈥渉omosexual activist agenda,鈥� it鈥檚 no contest. The agenda has won.
Shirvell (right), a former Michigan assistant state attorney general, essentially trashed his own career by waging a last year against a man he didn鈥檛 even know 鈥� Chris Armstrong, a 21-year-old, openly gay University of Michigan student who had just been elected the school鈥檚 new student government president. Now, Shirvell, a Michigan alumnus, is stretching the credulity of jurisprudence by claiming in a May 6 court filing that he actually is the victim in the fight he provoked 鈥� targeted by a reputed 鈥渉omosexual agenda鈥� often cited by right-wing extremists as seeking to thwart Christianity, destroy the institution of marriage and expand the number of LGBT people through 鈥渞ecruitment.鈥�
Shirvell鈥檚 motion seeks dismissal of a harassment lawsuit Armstrong filed against him April 1. According to the Detroit Free Press, Shirvell鈥檚 motion claims Armstrong set out 鈥渢o make an example out of (me) in order to deter others from criticizing (Armstrong鈥檚) homosexual activist agenda.鈥� Armstrong鈥檚 lawsuit seeks damages in excess of $25,000.
According to the newspaper, Shirvell contends that Armstrong 鈥� whom no one outside the school鈥檚 Ann Arbor campus would likely have ever heard about but for Shirvell鈥檚 own actions 鈥� 鈥渉as garnered publicity for himself and for his political agenda by trashing me in the media.鈥� He goes on, 鈥淭he lawsuit is nothing more than Mr. Armstrong鈥檚 latest publicity stunt. It is entirely without merit and totally devoid of reality. Mr. Armstrong has suffered no damages. I am confidant that the Court will ultimately throw out Mr. Armstrong鈥檚 baseless lawsuit and that my First Amendment rights will be upheld.鈥�
Armstrong鈥檚 鈥渉omosexual agenda,鈥� evidently, includes his refusal to wilt in the face of the personal attacks Shirvell launched against him beginning with the creation of聽 鈥淐hris Armstrong Watch,鈥� a website 鈥渇or concerned University of Michigan alumni, students and others who oppose the recent election of Chris Armstrong 鈥� a RADICAL, HOMOSEXUAL ACTIVIST, RACIST ELITIST, & LIAR 鈥� as the new head of student government.鈥�
Shirvell in his blog referred to Armstrong as a 鈥減rivileged pervert鈥� and accused him without evidence of 鈥渆ngaging in sexual escapades at churches and children鈥檚 playgrounds.鈥� He called Armstrong 鈥淪atan鈥檚 representative on the Student Council.鈥� Shirvell showed up at events where he anticipated Armstrong would be (leading the university to ban Shirvell from campus) and even staged protests outside Armstrong鈥檚 home, sometimes in the middle of the night.
As a civil servant, Shirvell could not be fired simply for expressing his political views on his own time, although his boss, Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox, said, 鈥淸H]is immaturity and lack of judgment outside the office is clear.鈥� A few weeks later, after a disciplinary hearing, Cox fired Shirvell for 鈥渃onduct unbecoming a state employee鈥� and for using his state computer during office hours to post on 聽his private blog.
In addition to the lawsuit, Armstrong is seeking to have Shirvell disbarred. 鈥淭his man is a loose cannon with a law license,鈥� Armstrong鈥檚 attorney, Deborah Gordon, told CNN in November. 鈥淗e should not be practicing law in the state of Michigan. He鈥檚 shown himself to be incapable of being a responsible officer of the court.鈥�
