In a public statement released via email Sunday night, interim University of Michigan President Domenico Grasso stated the University will be terminating external contracts for plainclothes security, or officers who do not wear uniforms, on campus. The statement follows after five U-M students who had previously participated in pro-Palestine protests reported they had been surveilled by undercover investigators in an article published by The Guardian Friday evening. The Guardian also obtained two videos showing U-M alum Josiah Walker confronting a man, presumed to be an undercover investigator, who had recorded Walker from a car.
In his statement, Grasso wrote the University began contracting external plainclothes security officers last summer.
“In July of 2024, as part of our security strategy, it was decided to augment our organic resources with outside firms to use plainclothes security personnel—a common approach for large, high-traffic areas such as hospitals, sports venues, shopping malls, and college campuses,” Grasso wrote. “These individuals were intended to help us keep watch over our campus and enable us to respond quickly to emergencies. However, we are clear: no individual or group should ever be targeted for their beliefs or affiliations.”
Grasso also wrote that since the University has learned of an incident involving one of the employees, they will no longer be utilizing plainclothes security.
“We recently learned that an employee of one of our security contractors has acted in ways that go against our values and directives,” Grasso wrote. “What happened was disturbing, unacceptable, and unethical, and we will not tolerate it. Going forward, we are terminating all contracts with external vendors to provide plainclothes security on campus.”
Sunday night, the University also updated a public statement initially released Friday. According to the statement, plainclothes security contractors were only authorized to observe and report criminal activity, not to surveil anyone.
“The university does not surveil individuals or student groups, nor has it requested or authorized the surveillance of any students on or off campus,” the statement read. “Unfortunately, recent media reports have mischaracterized the role of contract security personnel who were engaged solely to support campus safety efforts … The responsibilities of the contracted personnel were limited to the observation and reporting of criminal or suspicious activity on university property to the Division of Public Safety and Security (DPSS)—not surveillance.”
The statement also read that the individual who did not comply with this authorization no longer works for a security firm contracted by the University.
“We recently learned that an employee of one of our vendors acted outside of the university’s contracted services,” the statement read. “Their behavior was unacceptable, and we will not tolerate it. In discussions with the vendor, we have been informed that this individual is no longer employed with their company. Additionally, the university has informed the vendor that we will no longer utilize their plainclothes security services for on campus security details moving forward.”
In a press release published Monday, Dawud Walid, executive director of the Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, wrote the chapter is calling for an investigation into the undercover surveillance.
“This reported attempt by the University of Michigan to chill the free speech of anti-genocide groups through secret surveillance and alleged harassment must be investigated in an independent and transparent manner,” Walid wrote. “Academic officials would never allow this type of outrageous behavior if those targeted were members of any other groups speaking out against genocide and for human rights.”
The Michigan Daily News Staff can be reached at news@michigandaily.com.
