Following up on last Saturday’s post, Former AG Sues Michigan State, Files EEOC Complaints Against 100 Law Schools, for Age Discrimination in Hiring: Michigan State has asked me to post this response:

To the best of my knowledge, Michigan State University College of Law has not received any formal notification of a lawsuit against us by Mr. Spaeth. In reference to his complaint that was published in the media, our hiring committee reviewed documents submitted to the national registry for lawyers seeking teaching positions at law schools throughout the country. From the forms that suggested a potential match with our specific hiring needs, MSU College of Law invited approximately 30 candidates for interviews. Upon reviewing the one-page form that Mr. Spaeth submitted to the registry, I see that the areas of teaching interest he listed did not match our hiring needs. Therefore, he was one of more than 800 attorneys in the registry—most of whom have excellent credentials—who were not invited to interview. MSU Law did not and does not discriminate on the basis of age. The new entry-level professors we hired this year range in age from their 30s to over 60. Mr. Spaeth’s apparent decision to sue MSU Law is mystifying.

 

Joan W. Howarth
Dean, Michigan State University College of Law