State Rep. Beau LaFave, of Iron Mountain, issued the following statement demanding the Michigan Attorney General apologize for her religious attack on retired Chief Judge Michael J. Talbot. The controversy arose out of comments the attorney general made on Twitter regarding MSU hiring Talbot to help craft new Title IX policies to comply with a federal court order.

“Religious bigotry coming from the attorney general is unacceptable. This behavior should not be tolerated anywhere in our state, and it will not be tolerated by a statewide elected official.

“Late on Sunday, Michigan’s attorney general made remarks on Twitter alluding to her belief that retired Chief Judge Michael J. Talbot was not able to craft new Title IX rules for Michigan State University because he is a Catholic.

“Believing that a distinguished judge cannot do his job because of his religion is delusional. The judge’s faith has nothing to do with his role in crafting rules protecting students’ rights during university proceedings.

“New Title IX rules were necessitated by a federal court ruling that current rules were unconstitutional. Previously, students at universities had no right to cross-examine witnesses at university hearings. Often, these hearings would result in the accused being kicked off of campus and out of the university with no refund of their tuition money.

“First she tells the press that Catholics shouldn’t pray to their rosaries because they don’t do anything, and now she quips that a judge cannot do his job because he is Catholic. What now has become clear is that there is a disgusting pattern of anti-Catholic discrimination emerging from our attorney general.

“Maybe the first person the attorney general’s new Hate Crimes Unit should investigate is the attorney general herself. The attorney general owes an apology to Chief Judge Talbot, the university, and the people of the state of Michigan.”