Michigan State’s Spartan Stadium video scoreboard system (AP Photo/Al Goldis).
The owner of a quiz creator is suing Michigan State University after the college beamed a question about Adolf Hitler to what he says was a sold-out crowd of over 70,000 people on a Spartan Stadium video screen before a home game against Big Ten rival University of Michigan.
Floris van Pallandt, the owner of Carsilius Media and operator of The Quiz Channel on YouTube, filed a federal copyright infringement lawsuit against the University’s Board of Regents on Aug. 9 in a federal court in Michigan. The lawsuit says Michigan State University used van Pallandt’s quiz without authorization before an Oct. 21 football game, and he is seeking damages up to $150,000 plus attorneys fees to be determined at trial.
The quiz, which focused on European history and figures, included the question, “Where was Hitler born?” The question was accompanied by the notorious German dictator’s photo with the answer: Austria.
@meijer does your brand approve of an association with Adolf Hitler? @MSU_Football @michiganstateu do you approve of this insensitive and ignorant quiz on your Jumbotron? #stophate @adl pic.twitter.com/ORpNOloKqr
— Adam Gelnick (@adamgelnick) October 23, 2023
“Given the timing of the football game, approximately two weeks after the start of the war between Israel and Hamas, the inclusion of a question regarding Adolph Hitler during the Michigan-Michigan State football game garnered an extremely high degree of attention, most of it negative,” the lawsuit said.
MSU spokesperson Mark Bullion declined to comment on the lawsuit.
The quiz question came to light when media coverage reported that someone at Michigan State was including pictures of Adolf Hitler on the scoreboard as part of a quiz, court documents said.
The Associated Press reported that the employee responsible for showing the quiz was disciplined.
MSU Associate Athletic Director Matt Larson apologized, saying in a statement, “We are deeply sorry for the content that was displayed, as this is not representative of our institutional values. MSU will not be using the third-party source going forward and will implement stronger screening and approval procedures for all videoboard content in the future.”
The lawsuit said the quiz “was not created for a mass market use at an American college football game” and should not have been used, “especially in light of current events.”
“Had Michigan State University’s athletic department staff simply reached out to Mr. van Pallandt, as they should have, he could have put together a customized quiz appropriate for the venue and event, charging an appropriate fee for his work,” the lawsuit said. “At a minimum, this attempt to deflect blame is dishonest by omitting any comments about Michigan State’s role in this fiasco.”
“Michigan State’s attempt to lay the blame solely at the feet of The Quiz Channel has subjected them to ridicule and disparagement, as well as causing significant emotional distress to Mr. van Pallandt,” court documents added.
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
