The University of Michigan has fired an administrator who worked on diversity initiatives over accusations that she made antisemitic comments, according to her lawyer. The lawyer said she planned to sue the school.
The administrator, Rachel Dawson, was director of the university’s office of academic multicultural initiatives. She was accused of saying in a conversation at a conference in March that the university was “controlled by wealthy Jews,” according to documents obtained by The New York Times through a freedom of information request.
She was also accused of saying that Jewish students were “wealthy and privileged” and not in need of her office’s diversity services, and that “Jewish people have no genetic DNA that would connect them to the land of Israel,” according to the documents, which were part of a complaint from the Anti-Defamation League of Michigan.
Ms. Dawson’s lawyer, Amanda Ghannam, denied that she said anything antisemitic. Ms. Ghannam said that Ms. Dawson was fired this week after the university initially told her that she would have to undergo training.
“The university has clearly, blatantly violated Ms. Dawson’s First Amendment rights, and we will take appropriate legal action,” Ms. Ghannam said on Thursday.
A spokeswoman for the University of Michigan, Colleen Mastony, declined to confirm on Thursday whether Ms. Dawson had been fired, saying that the university would not comment on personnel matters.
