Full Appeals Court to Reconsider Decision Overturning Mich. Ban on Race in College Admissions

A federal appeals court on Friday overturned the work of one of its three-judge panels and said it would decide the legality of Michigan’s ban on affirmative action in college admissions and government hiring.

The decision by the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals erases a July 1 ruling that found the ban to be unconstitutional. It means more than a dozen judges on the court likely will hear the case again, a rare occurrence.

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In striking down the law in July, the three-judge panel said the law treats minorities unfairly and violates the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment.

Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette said the decision was “nutty” and had urged the full court to reopen the case.

“The court made the right decision and we look forward to making the case for equality, fairness and the rule of law,” Schuette said in a statement. “It is absurd to say a ban on racial discrimination, which Proposal 2 enshrined in our constitution, somehow perpetuates racial discrimination. It simply defies common sense.”

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