A conservative research group, Mackinac Center for Public Policy, has issued a far-reaching public records request to the labor studies departments at three public universities in Michigan, seeking any e-mails involving the Wisconsin labor turmoil. The group declined to explain why it was making the Freedom of Information Act request for material from professors at Wayne State University, University of Michigan and Michigan State University. But several professors who received the records request said it appeared to be an attempt to intimidate or embarrass professors who are sympathetic to organized labor. Marick Masters, director of labor studies at Wayne State, said he had nothing to hide. "This looks like an attempt to embarrass us," he said. "I haven't engaged in any partisan activities here. I think they're probably interested in seeing the extent to which labor studies centers in the state have helped orchestrate the protests in Madison."

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/30/education/30professors.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=%22wayne%20state%20university%22&st=cse
http://chronicle.com/article/Michigan-Think-Tank-Asks-3/126922/#
http://chronicle.com/article/Academic-Freedom-Does-Little/126928/?sid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en#
http://www.slate.com/blogs/blogs/weigel/archive/2011/03/29/creeping-foiazation-in-michigan-and-defunding-the-left.aspx
http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/education/campus_connection/article_ef1b375c-5a3e-11e0-ae00-001cc4c03286.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/29/conservative-think-tank-a_n_842201.html
http://mms.tveyes.com/Transcript.asp?StationID=205&DateTime=3%2F29%2F2011+9%3A08%3A57+PM&LineNumber=&MediaStationID=205&playclip=True&RefPage=
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2011/03/30/qt
http://michiganmessenger.com/47773/broad-records-request-sparks-controversy#
http://www.salon.com/news/the_labor_movement/?story=/tech/htww/2011/03/30/the_gop_war_on_labor_moves_to_academia