Professor suspended over video sues Michigan university

By ED WHITE
Associated Press

DETROIT (AP) — A Michigan professor who was suspended for making a sarcastic video for students that included profanity and criticism of university COVID-19 policies is asking a judge to immediately reinstate him. It’s been two weeks since Barry Mehler was suspended by Ferris State University. Attorneys for Mehler say his First Amendment rights were violated. In the video, Mehler covers a range of topics, including grades, attendance, COVID-19 and the HBO series “Deadwood.” He calls students “vectors of disease” and says they could get a good grade by skipping in-person classes and following course requirements posted online. Ferris State’s president says he was appalled by the video. Mehler says it was just a performance. It has been seen more than 500,000 times on YouTube.