Who is Rema Vassar? What to know about MSU Board of Trustees dispute

EAST LANSING — Rema Vassar, who was elected as the first Black chairwoman of the Michigan State University Board of Trustees in January, now faces an uncertain future four months after she faced calls to step down over leadership concerns, including accusations of bullying, ethics violations and other complaints.

The calls were sparked by an October letter sent to the board and released publicly by Trustee Brianna Scott, accusing the Detroit Democrat of a wide range of purported missteps. Prominent Democrats joined Scott in calling for Vassar's resignation. Vassar has released a statement refuting the accusations, and she has at least one supporter on the board in fellow Democrat Dennis Denno.

However, a university investigation by Washington, D.C.-based law firm Miller Chevalier substantiated many of the claims against Vassar, and also found alleged misconduct involving Denno. The law firm said Scott, by releasing the letter publicly, violated the board's code of ethics and should be censured.

Sunday in late-night meeting, the board voted to censure Vassar, Denno and Scott, and asked Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to considering removing Vassar and Denno, who were also stripped of board committee assignments and from any liaison positions as well as any other duties except those involved with their elected positions.

From Western to Wayne State to MSU

Vassar is a Western Michigan University alumna and has a doctorate from the University of California at Los Angeles in urban schooling.

She works as a professor in the department of Administrative and Organizational Studies at Wayne State University’s College of Education. She has also written research articles about education, and topics include parent-school partnerships; race, gender, and class implications in schools; implications of policy and practice on student achievement and outcomes; and equity, justice, access, and inclusion for minority communities. She has 20 years of experience in K-12 public education as a teacher, counselor and principal.

Vassar has also worked as a consultant for educators and school administrators in adopting culturally relevant methods of teaching, facilitating community engagement and inviting parents to participate in education.

Earlier this year, she was also appointed by Whitmer to the MiSTEM Advisory Council for a three-year term. The panel of business, higher education, K-12 education and philanthropic leaders was created by the Legislature to make statewide recommendations on improving STEM education.

Whitmer was asked about the recent accusations called the allegations against Vassar "concerning" but did not take a stance on whether she should remain on the board.

Michigan law allows the governor to remove board members for a variety of reasons, including gross neglect of duty or for corrupt conduct in office.

Stacey LaRouche, press secretary to Whitmer, told the State Journal last week the governor "will continue to monitor this situation closely."

Last fall, after Scott's letter was released, Whitmer told the Detroit Free Press that "I'm taking it very seriously. I think the allegations, if accurate, amount to a serious breach of conduct in what we expect of our board members and ... the oath that they took."

While she noted the board had not formally requested Vassar's removal, she was prepared to consider any potential request.

Vassar lives in Detroit with her husband and son.

Detroiter becomes first Black woman to lead board

In 2020, Vassar was elected in a statewide vote to an eight-year term on the Board of Trustees for a term that expires in 2029. She was supported by longtime Trustee and fellow Democrat Joel Ferguson, who in August that year announced he would not run for election after criticism over his support of former MSU presidents Lou Anna Simon and John Engler and comments that trivialized Larry Nassar's victims.

"I know she’ll be a great asset for MSU," he said about Vassar at the time.

In January, the board in a 5-3 vote named Vassar chairwoman of the board, making her the first Black woman in MSU history to serve in that role.

"I do want to say that this moment is historic," said Vassar at the time. "To have me … sitting in this seat today is pretty remarkable. So, I just appreciate you all giving me that trust and I appreciate an opportunity to make history today.”

Vassar, who voted for herself, also received votes from trustees Dan Kelly, Kelly Tebay, Denno and Scott. Trustee Renee Knake Jefferson, who was appointed by Whitmer before being reelected in a statewide vote, also vied for the post and received votes from trustees Dianne Byrum and Sandy Pierce. Pierce was also appointed to the board by Whitmer, filling a position left vacant when former trustee Pat O'Keefe resigned Nov. 30 over concerns about a lack of transparency by the board.

Scott voiced her support for her colleague after the vote.

"I have all confidence that Trustee Vassar is going to lead us extraordinarily into this next phase as we go into some very important decision-making with the new presidential search and other things coming up," Scott said.

'This might not be what you want to hear'

During her campaign, Vassar said she believed the thousands of documents surrounding the Nassar investigation being withheld by the school to preserve attorney-client privilege should be released. Vassar was elected to serve on the board with the support of some Nassar survivors and the Parents of Sister Survivors Engage group.

The board had previously refused Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s request to release the documents. Earlier this year, Nessel renewed her call after board membership changed, with Denno and Pierce joining the group and new leadership in Vassar.

“We remain committed as ever to pursuing justice for the many survivors of Larry Nassar’s violence at the University, and I hope the newly comprised board shares that commitment with us more meaningfully than their predecessors,” Nessel said in April.

However, a vote to release the documents never took place. A week after Nessel made her request, the board held a meeting and there was no mention of the documents on the agenda. According to the board's bylaws, "No motion or resolution shall be voted upon at a board meeting which is not included on the agenda ... unless the motion or resolution is endorsed in writing by three or more trustees." Therefore, the vote could have been held even if it was not on the distributed agenda as long as three trustees agreed on adding it.

Vassar offered an explanation to Nessel and the survivors of Nassar.

"We will maintain attorney client privilege," Vassar said during the April 21 meeting. "This might not be what you want to hear. I’m sure it's not. On behalf of the board, please know I’m sorry."

However, the board in December did decide to waive attorney-client privilege for some of the documents at a Dec. 15 board meeting. On Friday, officials began sending some of those to Nessel and hope to have all documents they are willing to release sent by the end of March. MSU said it will send the documents in batches, "as the documents become ready after appropriate review and redactions are completed." It's not clear what exactly is going to be released, and what redactions are expected.

What is Vassar accused of?

Vassar is accused of retaliating against people interviewed in the investigation and making personal attacks on former interim President Teresa Woodruff and the Faculty Senate Chair, (Jack) Lipton." She met with students and provided them with "confidential and inaccurate information" that violated the code of ethics for the board and was "intended to embarrass and unsettle Interim President Woodruff,” according to the report.

Additionally, the report found Vassar accepted free flights and tickets for her and her daughter on a donor's plane and met with former Eli Broad College of Business Dean Sanjay Gupta to discuss settling a lawsuit brought by Gupta over his forced resignation by Woodruff when she was provost.

Trustees are prohibited from accepting "special benefits or anything of value for [themselves] or others in consideration of performing [their] duties," per the conflict of interest policy.

Vassar also was involved in negotiations between MSU and a donor not named in the report regarding use of MSU trademarks for the donor's NIL collective, in violation of the code of ethics.

Regarding Vassar, the report noted: "The findings summarized above, though individually varying in degrees of severity, collectively establish a pattern of behavior that reflects a lack of appreciation by Chair Vassar for the principles underlying the Standards defined in the Code of Ethics and disregard for the Bylaws, the Trustee Conflict of Interest Policy, and core principles of shared governance.

What has she said?

Vassar argued that the investigation concluded that the most serious charges, including those raised by Scott, were unfounded and that "there was no finding of any undue influence, personal benefit, or harm to the University."

Scott disagreed, and in a statement to the State Journal said she believed the report "corroborated much of what I alleged and more." Scott voluntarily accepted censure, but urged Vassar to resign "so as not to force the governor to use taxpayer money to remove them ... which would only further tarnish their reputations and that of MSU."

"I maintain that I disagree with some of the findings and recommendations in the Miller Chevalier report," Vassar said before the vote Sunday night. "I can tell you that this report is incomplete and omits some very important information and key voices that could have provided a fuller and different picture of the circumstances and intentions of the people involved.”

Vassar teared up as she thanked the Black Student Alliance and the NAACP for their continued support. She said she believed her racial and gender identity influenced the way she was viewed, and hoped that perceptions of her did not influence the investigation.

"African Americans, other people of color and women are oftentimes held to a much higher standard or diminished and dismissed...," Vassar said. "Well, as I've stated, I could have made some different decisions. I certainly hope that who I am did not influence anyone involved in this investigation and report."

Contact Sarah Atwood at satwood@lsj.com. Follow her on X @sarahmatwood.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Who is Rema Vassar? What to know about MSU Board of Trustees dispute