Andrew Shirvell FIRED

The Michigan assistant attorney general who made headlines for hassling the University of Michigan's student assembly president has been fired, the Michigan Daily reports.

According to the Associated Press, Andrew Shirvell was let go during a disciplinary hearing related to the issue. The attorney general's office originally held that Shirvell was protected by the First Amendment.

Shirvell came into the public consciousness in September for his vehement criticism of Chris Armstrong, who is the University of Michigan's first openly gay student assembly president. Shirvell created a blog called Chris Armstrong Watch and frequented the university campus to heckle Armstrong, taking issue with what he perceived as the student's "radical homosexual agenda."

Shirvell took a leave of absence from the attorney general's office last month. He was later suspended. Chris Armstrong Watch was shuttered around the same time.

Armstrong, appearing on CNN in October, called Shirvell's blog "hurtful." Last month, Armstrong called for Shirvell's disbarment.

Comments

[Benjacomin Bozart]

07:40 AM on 12/23/2010

In the extremist right-wing world this guy is angling for advancement. A martyr in the culture wars to a RINO who isn't conservative enough for the Tea Baggers out there. The right keeps moving further and further into madness as new kooks come along to be holier than thou to the current kooks. The current leaders of the Republicans would have scourge Goldwater and Reagan out of the party.

[Dawn Goddard]

02:34 PM on 11/11/2010

Hurry, Fox...Hire this guy, he is your cup of tea.

[Tom Durkee]

06:15 AM on 11/10/2010

The stench from his career frying is terrible.

[Tim Peter]

05:34 AM on 11/10/2010

I believe Mr. Cox did the right thing by suspending Mr Shirvell and beginning an investigation into Shirvell's activities related to Mr. Armstrong. I first sided with Shirvell and his 1st Amendment Rights. Much as I hate what he has said, I believe he has the right to say it. If the 1st Amendment is used against everyone who says something we don't like, none of us would ever be allowed to say anything because someone would hate what we said. However, Cox stated that Shirvell used office computers and phones to conduct his alleged "political campaign" against Armstrong, and that is at best inappropriate and apparently illegal according to state law. Not only that, but Cox alleged that Shirvell violated the protection order against him, and a law-breaker such as that has no business enforcing the laws against others.

That being said, I still support the man's right to say what he wants about Armstrong, so long as he doesn't break any more laws in the process. And, if it turns out that Shirvell did violate the protection order or commit any other of the alleged crimes, I hope that he gets sentenced accordingly. While I support him legally, I also believe what he's saying and doing is horrible! It's really no different than the gradeschool bullying that has climaxed with so many suicides in the past year. I applaud Chris Armstrong for being strong enough to stand up and fight back against his attacker(s)!

[Ladywolf55]

08:18 AM on 11/10/2010

Well said. Fanned and Faved. :-)

[StevenKeirstead]

07:24 PM on 11/10/2010

Did you read what Shirvell wrote about Armstrong? I did, and I have to say it might have crossed the border that separates free speech from lies and libel. I’m no lawyer, and I don’t know if there was truth in the more outlandish allegations made, but people can’t just make up stuff about other people they don’t like in an attempt to embarrass them and hurt their careers.

[librul1001]

09:52 PM on 11/09/2010

Hope he gets disbarred, too. Shameful and truly ugly.

[Schmice]

04:47 PM on 11/09/2010

Can anybody say Roy Cohn?

[thehuff]

05:47 AM on 11/13/2010

Brilliant! Someone should look into how many times this Shirvell guy has had an STD and then compare it to how many girlfriends and/or dates with females he's had. This information might suggest some other type of activity that Mr Shirvell might be involved in. I won't get into exactly what activity that is, you can figure that out on your own.

[OuterBanx North12]

03:50 PM on 11/09/2010

"Radical Homosexual Agenda" - a pejorative term used by anti-gay zealots and mostly right-wing nuthats to describe any attempts by those supportive of the gay community to provide for said community the equal privileges given to those who are not gay. Because wanting to be treated as an equal in this country is so radical, I guess!

Also, they fail to see the irony in their hysterical, frothing opposition to gays in the media as qualifying as an "agenda".

[Ioan Lightoller]

08:32 PM on 11/16/2010

WHAT agenda?! The haters think I have an agenda? Yeah, I do. EQUAL rights. I want all the rights you have, like legal CIVIL marriage and I want them now.

[Andrew McFarmland]

03:18 PM on 11/09/2010

I actually feel kinda sorry for this guy, tragically pathetic as he is. I'm guessing his boss, Mike Cox, willingly benefited, if not directly encouraged this guy's activities; taking positions he supports but knows are political poison. I mean really, how could Cox have all this going on in his own house and not know about it?
Shirvell is small fry. Cox is the real villain here, and he wants to be Michigan's govenor. http://mikecox2010.com/

[gappedtoothgodwarrior]

03:47 PM on 11/09/2010

Yeah but he never going to be.

[pjlim]

02:48 PM on 11/09/2010

Now he can finally have some free time to come to terms with his sexuality....... get thee to a therapist immediately!

[msblynne]

02:45 PM on 11/09/2010

Shirvell, the first not quite openly gay Assistant Attorney General anywhere to be fired for stalking and harassing a dignified and accomplished gay student body leader at a major, world class university.

[msblynne]

01:57 PM on 11/09/2010

Cooper is increasingly seeming to be one of the better journalists around.

[vind]

12:10 PM on 11/09/2010

Good riddance to bad rubbish.

[godwithin]

12:06 PM on 11/09/2010

Next, disbarment.

[Gretchen Watson]

10:43 AM on 11/09/2010

Finally!

[DrSnuggles]

10:42 AM on 11/09/2010

Why is it that all homophobes are supposedly closet-cases? I understand the general principle (hate it in yourself, hate it in others) but in this case - let's drop it, it's offensive to any community to try to group this sputum in with them.

Also, regarding him getting disbarred - unfortunately there is no real reason to have him disbarred (he did not use his position as a lawyer in an unethical way, he just happened to be unethical in general). What should happen is either he get charged with a crime in relation to his behaviour (if he's convicted of a felony that's automatic disbarrment); failing that Mr. Armstrong has a very good case for a civil suit.

[gappedtoothgodwarrior]

03:51 PM on 11/09/2010

"but in this case - let's drop it"
Actually in this case there's far more evidence than for many. Often the Homophobe = Closeted Gay theory is more a way of making the homophobe or their supporters feel uncomfortable.

Shirvel fair screams closeted in both his words and his actions.

[hatmaker510]

06:21 PM on 11/13/2010

Actually he could get disbarred. Attorney have a code of conduct they must adhere to and it could be argued that he failed to abide by said code.