A misunderstanding at a Michigan State University dining hall last summer quickly exploded into an angry confrontation, multiple calls to the police and now, a lawsuit.
The trouble began when Richard Robinson, an accounting student, went to study in the Shaw dining hall on May 27, 2024. After telling the cashier that he didn’t intend to eat, only to study, he was let into the cafeteria without swiping his student ID, according to court filings.
Not long after he sat down, he was confronted by Dining Services Assistant Manager Michelle Mercer, who told Robinson he had to swipe his ID to be in the dining hall. Robinson explained that he wasn’t eating, and Mercer said "OK" since it wasn’t busy, according to court filings.
Later, Robinson decided he wanted to eat after all. After swiping his ID at the register, he began getting food.
Seeing this, Mercer yelled that Robinson “can’t eat,” according to court filings.
Robinson told Mercer to follow him, led her to the cash register and had the attendant confirm that he did, in fact, pay.
Feeling harassed by Mercer, Robinson called the police. To his surprise, the dispatcher said that they were already on their way, according to court filings.
Not knowing why someone had called the police on him, Robinson began to pack up his things to leave after talking with a police officer.
But he was still hungry.
“I had done nothing wrong, so I decided to change my mind and stay to eat my food and study,” Robinson wrote in court filings.
But before he told MSU Department of Police and Public Safety Sergeant Matthew Thorne about his new decision, Robinson asked who had called the police on him and why.
Thorne told him that a member of the dining hall staff had called because they thought he was stealing and that a police report would have to be filed, according to court filings.
“I then decided it was best to leave the cafeteria,” Robinson wrote.
Months later, on Nov. 26, Robinson filed a notice of intent to file a claim against the university, the university’s police department and Mercer for racial discrimination (Robinson did not list his race). The notice, which was obtained recently by The State News via a public records request, is the first step to filing a formal lawsuit.
Robinson and Mercer did not respond to repeated requests for comment. Spokespeople for MSU and MSU DPPS declined to comment, citing pending litigation.
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