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Wednesday, February 9, 2022

CAMPUS LIFE

ADMINISTRATION

‘Tell them what you allowed to happen to us’: Sexual assault survivors of former U-M professor Bruce Conforth take legal action Eight U-M alumni sue University for failing to protect students VANESSA KIEFER Daily Staff Reporter

Anderson protestors say work is far from over following $490 million settlement

DOMINICK SOKOTOFF/Daily

Vaughn, Christian reflect on agreement, continue to advocate for stronger misconduct policies at UMich MARTHA LEWAND & JUSTIN O’BEIRNE Daily Staff Reporters

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

CAMPUS LIFE

Campus community talks Black Joy at opening ceremony of Black History Month

The Office of Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs hosts music performances, keynote address CAROLINE WANG Daily Staff Reporter

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.”

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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.”

Read more at MichiganDaily.com

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.” See ‘TELL THEM, Page 2

BUSINESS

Seven Michigan Starbucks locations unionize for greater autonomy, safer COVID-19 protocol

Majority of employees at these MI chains have signed union authorization cards RILEY HODDER

Daily Staff Reporter

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.