CIR asks state court to order schools to follow Prop. 2
The Center for Individual Rights has filed a classaction lawsuit in the Circuit Court for Washtenaw County, MI, on behalf of Eric Russell and all other similarly situated individuals applying to Michigan state schools this year.
In papers filed January 4, CIR asked the state court to issue a preliminary injunction immediately enforcing newly enacted Article I, Section 26 of the Michigan Constitution, which bars the use of race in any decision relating to admissions or financial aid by Michigan public educational institutions. The suit names as defendants the Regents of the University of Michigan, University President Mary Sue Coleman, and Governor Jennifer Granholm.
CIR is representing Eric Russell, a Michigan resident who has applied to the University of Michigan law school this year. Mr. Russell seeks to have his application considered without regard to his race, as explicitly provided for by the recently amended Michigan Constitution.
Russell grew up in Saginaw, MI, and graduated from Oakland University in 1999. He is currently seeking a Masters degree in General Linguistics at Wayne State University and is an instructor in Spanish at Wayne State and Oakland University.