A YouTube quiz channel creator is suing Michigan State University, claiming the university’s athletic department used his video without permission, then showed an image of Adolph Hitler on the video board at Spartan Stadium.
Before an Oct. 21, 2023, game against rival Michigan, MSU’s athletic department displayed the trivia quiz. As part of the quiz, a question regarding Adolf Hitler’s birthplace included an image of Hitler, leading to public backlash.
Related: MSU AD Apologizes for Hitler Image Displayed on Video Board During Michigan Game
As reported by Lansing NBC affiliate WILX, concern spread nationally as the image was shown just two weeks after the war began between Israel and Hamas. As the video board incident gained more attention, The Quiz Channel owner Floris van Pallandt became aware of its unauthorized use, the lawsuit states.
Van Pallandt said MSU initially tried to blame the channel, saying the use of Hitler in the quiz was the channel’s fault. He said the quiz was created as a general knowledge quiz on The Quiz Channel, according to the lawsuit.
MSU suspended the employee involved for allowing Hitler’s image to be shown.
The lawsuit said that if the university’s athletic department had contacted Van Pallandt, he would have created a customized quiz appropriate for the venue and event, WILX reported.
“Michigan State failed to take this step, however, and used the quiz without permission,” the lawsuit stated.
The lawsuit also said the result of MSU saying the video was “inappropriate content from a third-party source” caused damage to Van Pallandt, who seeks damages up to $150,000.
