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

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.

The Guardian knows the identity of the strategist named in the messages, which Acker appears to have posted in a Slack group in 2020 and 2021, but is not naming her to protect her privacy. One message reads that a “buddy banged [redacted] on election night 2018 and we literally discussed this yesterday. Said it was the most insane experience of his life”. In one message, the strategist is referred to as “an absolute freak in bed”. The messages continue in a similar tone.

A screenshot of a Slack message. Photograph: Obtained by the Guardian

Acker’s lawyer said in an email that his client has never used Slack and has “doubts about the authenticity of the alleged ‘Slack screengrabs’”. When asked by the Guardian whether Acker denied writing the messages, his attorney responded: “Your understanding that Mr Acker does not deny this is not correct or incorrect.”

The Guardian reviewed a number of conversations over several years in the Slack group including the account bearing Acker’s name, and cross-referenced an email linked to the Slack account under his name with his personal Gmail account.

Six people who were part of the Slack group confirmed that they saw the messages when they were sent. The group is mostly made up of about 30 left-leaning professionals and discusses sports and Michigan politics. They are not involved in the regents race. Members of the group whom the Guardian spoke with said they were in the Slack group with Acker for years and that he offered the comments unprompted.

The strategist declined to comment.

Current U-M regent Paul Brown is also a part of the three-way race. His term and Acker’s term both expire on 1 January. At a 19 April convention, Democratic party delegates from across the state will in effect choose two candidates as nominees for the general election in November.

Acker largely has the support of the political establishment, and is endorsed by the US Senate candidate Mallory McMorrow, the Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer and several major unions. Makled has endorsements from many of the school’s graduate unions, and the United Auto Workers.

Makled told the Guardian the messages “are reprehensible, if they are true”.

The message about the strategist was just one in a series of sexual messages about the strategist. One read she “likes it extremely rough and very very very much into props”.

Another message appears to show Acker describing being contacted by a parent of a U-M student. It describes to the group that the parent – referred to as a “joo”, apparently meaning “Jew” – revealed that his daughter had had mono and “a series of UTIs”. The post was followed by a picture of the daughter and her friends.

“Like maybe he doesn’t realize that his daughter fucks, apparently a lot,” the message reads.

It is unclear whether the messages will affect Whitmer and McMorrow’s endorsements of Acker. In an emotional speech in 2013, Whitmer discussed being sexually assaulted in college, and McMorrow in 2020 filed a complaint against a state representative whom she alleged sexually harassed her in the legislature. (The representative denied the claim.)

In a statement, McMorrow said: “If these messages are real, then they are disgusting.” A spokesperson did not respond to questions about whether they affect McMorrow’s endorsement.

Whitmer did not respond to requests for comment. Nor did the University of Michigan or the Michigan Education Association, a major union that endorsed Acker.

A screenshot of a Slack message. Photograph: Obtained by the Guardian

The messages come shortly after Makled drew criticism for posts on X in 2025. A retweet lamented the death of former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Another retweet, from Candace Owens, referred to Israelis as “demons” over attacks on Palestinian Christians.

The retweets caused Makled to lose an endorsement from the Service Employees International Union this week, he said.

He told the Guardian that the Slack messages are “especially disappointing after I have been falsely accused of supporting things I’ve never supported”.

The delegates’ votes are expected to be counted, and the state party is expected to make its endorsements, on Sunday evening.