
Michigan professor suspended over video criticizing university's COVID-19 policies sues
Fox News
Michigan professor Barry Mehler was suspended for making a YouTube video for students that criticized Ferris State University's COVID-19 policies.
"COVID-19 is deadly. But at Ferris State University, freedom of speech and academic freedom are deadlier," they said in a request to return Mehler to teaching history. This image from video provided and taken by Barry Mehler shows Mehler during a 14-minute YouTube video at the start of a new term at Ferris State University (Barry Mehler via AP) ( ) Barry Mehler during a 14-minute YouTube video at the start of a new term at Ferris State University. Mehler, a professor who was suspended after making the video for his students, is threatening to file a lawsuit if Ferris State University, located in Michigan, doesn't lift the sanction. (Barry Mehler via AP) ( )
In a 14-minute video at the start of a new term, Mehler, 74, covered a range of topics, including grades, attendance, plagiarism, COVID-19 and the HBO series "Deadwood."
He frequently dropped in profanities and told students — whom he called "vectors of disease" — they could skip in-person classes and still get a good grade by following course requirements posted online. The video has been seen more than 500,000 times on YouTube.