Deal inappropriately with the Wolverine State (9)
I believe the answer is:
mishandle
'deal inappropriately with' is the definition.
(to mishandle is to deal with badly)
I don't understand how the remainder of the clue works.
(Other definitions for mishandle that I've seen before include "Bungle" , "Fumble" , "Wrongly manage" , "Maltreat" , "Badly judge" .)