An investigation into University of Michigan Regent Jordan Acker’s messages on Slack, in which he made sexual comments about a Democratic strategist and lewd remarks about a female U-M student that included her picture, found that the communications were authentic.
U-M hired the New York law firm Patterson Belknap to investigate the messages, which became public in an article published in April in The Guardian and were sent by Acker in 2020 and 2021.
“The investigation is complete and confirmed the authenticity of the messages,” a statement posted Thursday, June 25, on U-M’s website said. “Upon due consideration of relevant factors and circumstances, the board has determined that it is in the best interests of the university to close this matter without further action.”
Acker apologized to his colleagues, U-M staff, alumni and others at the Board of Regents meeting on Thursday, saying he made mistakes.
“I’m sorry,” he said at the meeting, which was the first he attended since the article was published. “I’m sorry for the distraction, the disappointment and the pain that the situation has caused over the last two months. Much has been said and written about me. Some of it, I believe, has been unfair. Some of it has felt like a deliberate attempt to define me by my worst moments and mistakes, but today is not about that. Today is about accountability.”
He said he has spent much of his life advocating for accountability from leaders and institutions and it would be hypocritical of him not to hold himself to the same standard.
“It does not erase the disappointment I have caused people who believed in me,” he said. “It does not erase the embarrassment that this has brought to an institution that deserves better. For that, I am genuinely sorry. I’m also sorry that it has taken me this long to say these words publicly.”
The article about the messages appeared just before the Michigan Democratic Party Convention.
Acker lost his nomination bid for the board to Dearborn lawyer Amir Makled, who defended pro-Palestine protesters at U-M. Acker is Jewish and has voiced support for Israel. His home and office were vandalized with spray-painted, anti-Israel messages after the 2024 Hamas attack on Israel and the Israeli military’s invasion of Gaza.
Acker’s term expires at the end of this year. Despite calls for his resignation after the news report, he said he plans to finish out his term and that he “intends to redouble efforts to support our community,” such as adding free counseling sessions, making investments in the U-M Flint and Dearborn campuses and working on carbon neutrality for the university.
“I’ve made mistakes,” he said. “I’ve fallen short of my own values. I’m ashamed of that, but I’m not defeated by it. I love this university. I believe in this university, and I remain committed to serving it with humility, honesty and renewed understanding that public trust is not something we are entitled to it, is something we earn every day.”
Contact Adrienne Roberts: amroberts@freepress.com
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: U-M investigation finds lewd messages sent by Jordan Acker were real
Reporting by Adrienne Roberts, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Adrienne Roberts, Detroit Free Press | USA TODAY Network
