University of Michigan Ends Private Security Contracts After Surveillance Allegations

The University of Michigan has ended contracts with private security firms after allegations surfaced that their employees surveilled and harassed pro-Palestinian student groups on campus. The university stated that one security employee acted in a manner that was "disturbing, unacceptable and unethical," emphasizing that no individual or group should be targeted for their beliefs or affiliations. The private security was initially hired to monitor high-traffic areas for suspicious activity, not to conduct surveillance, but students and their attorney argue the security actions amounted to wrongful monitoring and harassment. Pro-Palestinian demonstrations, including a month-long encampment in 2024, heightened tensions and led to arrests and felony charges that were later dropped. Michigan’s interim president, Domenico Grasso, acknowledged the misconduct and announced the termination of all contracts with external plainclothes security vendors. Critics assert the university spent nearly a million dollars on these security measures, which they view as unjustified and part of a broader national pattern of targeting student activists.