Michigan State Sued After Hitler Trivia Question Is Displayed At Football Game

Michigan State University is facing legal action following a controversial trivia question displayed during a pregame segment at Spartan Stadium. The incident occurred during the football game against the University of Michigan on October 21, 2023, when a question about Adolf Hitler’s birthplace appeared on the stadium’s video board.

The lawsuit was filed by The Quiz Channel, a trivia operator based in the Netherlands, which claims that Michigan State did not have permission to use its quiz content. The question in question asked attendees where Hitler was born, a choice that has drawn significant criticism.

In response to the backlash, Michigan State issued a statement during the game, acknowledging that “inappropriate content by a third-party source” had been displayed.

The university expressed its deep regret over the incident, emphasizing that such content does not align with its institutional values.

In its statement, Michigan State promised the public that it would stop using the outside quiz source and would put stricter checks in place for all video board content moving forward.

The lawsuit, filed by The Quiz Channel’s owner, Van Pallant, argues that the quiz was not suitable for “mass market use at an American college football game.” He expressed concern that the question was particularly inappropriate given the current global climate and events related to hate and discrimination.

Van Pallant is seeking damages to be determined at trial and is requesting that Michigan State refrain from using his company’s quiz questions in the future.