Dearborn
College settles lawsuit with sex offender for $36K
DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) - A convicted sex offender who sued a suburban Detroit college over his dismissal settled the case for $36,000.
An agreement obtained by The Associated Press says the payment came earlier this year from Henry Ford College's insurer. In exchange, Michael Branch has agreed to stay away from the Dearborn campus.
Branch claimed his rights were violated when the school removed him in 2011, despite good grades in a heating-and-cooling program. But in court filings, Henry Ford said his enrollment was terminated because of parole requirements. Branch had to stay away from minors and child-care facilities.
Henry Ford denied wrongdoing but settled the lawsuit solely for "business reasons."
Branch was convicted of having sex with a 15-year-old girl in 2004.
Kalamazoo
WMU to pay $35K in settlement of speech lawsuit
KALAMAZOO, Mich. (AP) - Western Michigan University is paying $35,000 to settle a lawsuit from a student group that said school policies unlawfully limit free speech on campus.
The Kalamazoo Gazette reports the Kalamazoo Peace Center sued the university last year over the group's efforts to host musician and activist Boots Riley. The lawsuit said the school hindered plans to bring him to campus, and the event was hosted off campus.
Court documents say a settlement was reached Thursday.
University spokeswoman Cheryl Roland told the newspaper that it agreed to settle the case "mostly to come to a quick resolution and to let everyone move forward." She said the school is paying $35,000 in attorney fees, but is not paying damages.
Roland said the school doesn't think it did anything wrong, and that it's making "minor changes" to event planning procedures.
New Jersey
Woman charged with attempting to entice a child
ELIZABETH, N.J. (AP) - Authorities say a Michigan woman had an inappropriate relationship with a New Jersey boy she met while playing video games online.
Union County prosecutors say 44-year-old Jessica Carlton, of Grand Rapids, faces two counts of attempting to lure or entice a child and 12 counts of child endangerment. She was arrested in Michigan on April 9 and was recently was extradited to New Jersey, where she remains jailed on $225,000 bail.
Prosecutors say Carlton initially met the boy in May 2013, when he was 11.
While playing video games together, authorities say the pair developed a relationship that grew to involve sexually explicit text messages, phone conversations and photos.
Carlton allegedly traveled from Michigan to New Jersey last December to meet the boy and bring him several gifts.
St. Joseph
Teacher accused of relationship with student
ST. JOSEPH, Mich. (AP) - A former high school teacher in southwestern Michigan faces criminal sexual conduct charges following an investigation into reports of an inappropriate relationship with a student.
The St. Joseph Public Safety Department says Monday that the 26-year-old woman has been arrested and jailed.
The case has been turned over to the Berrien County prosecutor's office.
St. Joseph Public Schools contacted authorities on April 29 after the parents of a student reported the relationship involving the teacher.
Schools Superintendent Ann Cardon said the teacher was placed on paid administrative leave. She says the teacher resigned on Friday.
Lansing
Snyder rules out Cabinet position
LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Gov. Rick Snyder said Monday he is not angling for a Cabinet position, despite speculation that could be the case as he travels around the country promoting Michigan's rebound.
Snyder told The Associated Press following an event in Lansing that a Washington Cabinet position is not something he is "really aspiring to."
Snyder has been talking up the state's successes after allies formed a nonprofit group called Making Government Accountable.
In the past few weeks, Snyder has made two private appearances at a gathering of the Republican Jewish Coalition, attended the White House Correspondents' Association dinner and appeared in Southern California.
That's fueled speculation that he's using his travel to raise his profile for a potential presidential bid or Cabinet position, should another Republican be elected president in 2016. Snyder dismissed the notion of a Cabinet bid Monday, saying, "I am proud to be governor of Michigan, and I think it's important to tell the Michigan story."
On April 27, Snyder publicly confirmed that he is considering a potential presidential bid, telling Bloomberg TV that "things are moving fairly quickly" and he could decide in the "next couple months or so." He also tried to downplay a run, saying it is "a lot of speculation" but a "commonsense problem solver" is needed in the race.
The governor of a Midwest industrial state who bills himself as a practical decision-maker and a "tough nerd" turnaround artist, Snyder would not be a leading presidential contender should he run.
His comments about not seeking a Cabinet-level job come as the field for GOP presidential nominees grows.
Likely presidential candidate Scott Walker was in Michigan on Monday telling Republicans that tax cuts grow the economy. Walker's visit came the same day retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson announced a Republican presidential bid in Detroit and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul attended an event in Grand Rapids.
Published: Wed, May 06, 2015
