Lewd messages linked to University of Michigan regent who led campaign against pro-Palestinian students

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/17/university-of-michigan-regent-sexual-messages

Lewd messages linked to University of Michigan regent who led campaign against pro-Palestinian students

Jordan Acker, who pushed legal action against protesters, is running for re-election in race reflecting tensions on Israel

Tom Perkins
Fri 17 Apr 2026 19.38 EDT

The University of Michigan regent Jordan Acker, who helped lead the university’s crackdown on pro-Palestinian students, appears to have made obscene sexual comments about a Democratic party strategist in a group chat, messages provided to the Guardian reveal. The Slack messages, attributed to Acker, also include lewd comments about a female U-M student and a picture of her with her friends.

The messages were shared with the Guardian just days before a heated primary convention election for two open U-M board of regents seats. The board is the university’s governing body, and the usually low-profile race is especially tense this year as pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian candidates compete for seats. The race has become a local flashpoint in the broader battle over criticism of Israel on campuses.

Acker is known to be a confrontational, pro-Israel leader at the large public university. He is an attorney who helped recruit the Michigan attorney general to bring highly unusual prosecutions against students, and, while he was on the board, it led a sprawling undercover surveillance operation against the students. The prosecutions and surveillance operations were dropped after Guardian stories on each. Acker has also drawn criticism for leading the university as it dismantled its diversity, equity and inclusion initiative amid pressure from Donald Trump.

Acker is being challenged by Amir Makled, a progressive defense attorney from Dearborn, Michigan, who represented some of the pro-Palestinian protesters who faced prosecution. He is popular among the Democratic party’s left flank, which has been frustrated with U-M’s crackdown on student protests and the school’s relations with its unions.

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