Anti-Gay Former Michigan Assistant Attorney General Andrew Shirvell Files Wrongful Termination Lawsuit

I wrote last year about former Michigan assistant attorney general Andrew Shirvell. For whatever reason, Shirvell appeared to become obsessed with taking down an openly gay University of Michigan student body president named Chris Armstrong. He created a now-defunct blog that was specifically targeted towards destroying Armstrong's personal and political life. He posted pictures of Armstrong with rainbow swastika images on his face. He was take pictures outside of Armstrong's home of his guests and friends and accused the former class president of supplying minors with alcohol and converting others into homosexuality. He blogged that Armstrong hosted gay orgies and that he had sex in churches and playgrounds. Basically, Shirvell stalked Armstrong so badly that he eventually got fired from his job at the Michigan attorney general's office.

Armstrong eventually filed a defamation lawsuit against Shirvell, seeking $25,000. Multiple sources claim that he would have dropped the lawsuit if Shirvell would publicly apologize and retract the libelous blog materials. Shirvell refused to apologize, claiming in court that his blog was constitutionally protected free speech. In the end, Armstrong won his case. The jury awarded Armstrong a $4.5 million judgement.

I learned yesterday that Andrew Shirvell has now filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against former Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox (the man who fired him for misconduct) and others within the Attorney General office, including current Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette:

 According to the filing, "As a direct and proximate result of Defendants’ wrongdoing, Plaintiff Shirvell has suffered significant loss of his constitutional rights, income, future earnings, and the right to enjoyment of his livelihood as well as emotional distress, humiliation, mortification, embarrassment, sleeplessness, anxiety, and depression."

Andrew Shirvell wants money (basically, his back wages plus interest plus attorney fees and "other relief) and his old job back.

This should be interesting...