In his personal comments on Oct. 28, O'Keefe passionately condemned the state of Title IX at MSU, telling the Faculty Senate he was "tired of reading about the sexual transgressions of the faculty, which are like reading '50 Shades of Grey' and are as long as 'Gone with the Wind.'"

The statement said the trustee's comments "eroticized sexual victimization, which imparts a chilling effect on those reporting these events and trivializes the trauma of those who have been affected by them."

"These statements also demeaned the hard work and commitment of a vigilant faculty who cares deeply about the support and care of our students," the statement said.

The letter said that one of O'Keefe's trustee responsibilities is reviewing confidential RVSM reports.

"This trustee’s remarks were uncivil, insensitive, and inappropriate," the statement said. "Moreover, they were uncaring and re-traumatizing for many in our community. This trustee ... used their platform to suggest that faculty are sexual predators and attempted to set faculty and RVSM claimants at odds with each other."

The statement said O'Keefe's comments about academic freedom "retaliative threats."

"This trustee has decided to equate academic freedom with tolerance of harassers and abusers on campus, which is an intentional and gross misunderstanding of academic freedom," the statement said.

At one point, the letter said how to report violations by trustees.

"To the students, staff, and faculty who communicated to us their disbelief, incredulity, and trauma because of this trustee’s remarks, know that we hear you and support you," the statement said. "Note that concerns regarding potential violations of the Code of Ethics and Conduct by members of the Board of Trustees may be reported to the Office of Audit, Risk and Compliance, without fear of retribution. Complaints may also be submitted anonymously to the Misconduct Hotline at (800) 763-0764 or online."