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The University of Michigan has released a trove of emails between Mark Schlissel and a subordinate school employee in announcing Schlissel’s removal over their alleged sexual affair.
Copies of the emails with the recipient’s name redacted were included in Saturday’s announcement on the school’s website. One of the emails included a 2019 New Yorker article titled: "Sexual Fantasies of Every New Yorkers." Schlissel indicated in the subject box it was an "article you couldn’t download."
University of Michigan President Mark Schlissel speaks during a ceremony at the university, in Ann Arbor, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
The article is composed of short blurbs from New York residents setting up what seems to be an imminent sexual encounter but pivots to be a tongue-in-cheek commentary about living in a big city.
In another email, Schlissel appeared to delight in the possibility of missing their flight connection and getting stuck in Paris.
The employee wrote in a July 1, 2021, exchange that her "heart hurts,", to which Schlissel responded: "I know. mine too." He continued: "This is my fault." He added that he was "in pain too."
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The board also wrote that on Jan. 9, 2021, the subordinate employee said, "Oh yes!" in an email to Schlissel. His response was "love it when you say that."
Many of the emails, sent from Schlissel’s official school email, were exchanged between Schlissel and the unnamed recipient as they made travel or dinner arrangements.
The University Of Michigan North Campus signage at the University Of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan on July 30, 2019. (Raymond Boyd/Getty Images)
Schlissel played a direct role in implementing the rules that ultimately caused his removal. At a Board of Regents meeting in July, Schlissel said there would be zero tolerance for someone in a leadership position to "solicit a personal or romantic relationship with someone they have a supervisory authority or career influence over."
"That’s exceptionally important because of the power dynamic," he said on July 15, according to mlive.com. "It makes it difficult sometimes for folks to effectively say no, then you put an employee in a very difficult circumstance."
The University of Michigan Board of Regents said Saturday that Schlissel’s removal was effective "immediately." The board said its members learned early last month about Schlissel’s relationship from an anonymous complaint and that an investigation revealed that "over the years," Schlissel used his university email account to "communicate with that subordinate in a manner inconsistent with the dignity and reputation of the university."
UM President Mark Schlissel addresses recent sexual misconduct from former Provost Martin Philbert at the Board of Regents meeting on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2020. (Jenna Kieser/Ann Arbor News via AP)
Fox News has reached out to Schlissel seeking comment but did not hear back before publication.
Schlissel had a base salary of $927,000 a year. He announced last October that he would step down in June 2023, a year before his contract was to expire.
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Former University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman has been appointed interim president. Schlissel's removal and Coleman's appointment will be affirmed during the board's Feb. 17 formal session.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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