Chris Armstrong The University of Michigan's first openly-gay student body president has been awardedUS$4.5 million in his case against a former top-level lawyer who claimed he had an orgy in a dorm room, sex in a park and that he had “liquored up” underage freshmen to recruit them to the ”homosexual lifestyle”. The jury came back with the award against former assistant Michigan Attorney General Andrew Shirvell, and in favour of Chris Armstrong, 22, who graduated last year. Lawyer Deborah Gordon has told CNN the jury found in Armstrong's favour on four counts: defamation, stalking, intentional infliction of emotional distress and invasion of privacy. Shirvell was fired from his job in the attorney general's office in 2010 after targeting the student leader online and in person, then lying about his actions to investigators, state Attorney General Mike Cox said at the time. Shirvell "repeatedly violated office policies, engaged in borderline stalking behaviour and inappropriately used state resources," Cox said. Asked for specifics about Shirvell's conduct, Armstrong’s lawyer Gordon said, "He said he (Armstrong) had an orgy in a dorm room and sex in a park and that he had liquored up underage freshmen to recruit them to the 'homosexual lifestyle.'" Shirvell also referred to Armstrong as "Satan's representative" on the Michigan Student Assembly, she said. "He's a little out there," Gordon continued, adding the multimillion-dollar judgment "is probably not collectable" at this time, since Shirvell has no job.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Monday, 20th August 2012 - 10:39am