Michigan Law Review sued for alleged race, sex-based discrimination
The lawsuit accuses the Michigan Law Review of rejecting members' articles because they were white men.
The complaint was filed on June 18 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, and says the journal’s practices violate Title VI and Title IX.
A group of white male scholars is suing the Michigan Law Review, a law journal connected to the University of Michigan, accusing it of selecting articles for publication and members based on characteristics like race and sex.
The complaint, filed on June 18 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, says the journal’s practices violate federal civil rights law, namely Title VI and Title IX.
“The Michigan Law Review is flouting these requirements by using race and sex preferences to select its members and articles—a practice that violates the clear and unequivocal language of Title VI and Title IX,” the complaint states. “The plaintiff brings suit to enjoin these illegal discriminatory practices, and to ensure that all components of the University of Michigan comply with their obligations under federal anti-discrimination law.”
The plaintiffs in the case are represented by Faculty, Alumni, and Students Opposed to Racial Preferences (FASORP) and remain anonymous. However, the complaint notes they are three white male professors and a law student.
The professors say the journal rejected their articles because they are white and male. The student claims the journal discriminated against his membership application because of his race and the fact that he is straight.
The complaint against the Michigan Law Review mirrors a complaint against the Harvard Law Review, which says that the journal also selects articles because of an author’s race.
“Harvard Law Review’s article selection process appears to pick winners and losers on the basis of race, employing a spoils system in which the race of the legal scholar is as, if not more, important than the merit of the submission,” Craig Trainor, an acting assistant secretary at the Office for Civil Rights, said in April.
FASORP also brought forward a similar lawsuit against Northwestern University last year.
“Faculty hiring at American universities is a cesspool of corruption and lawlessness,” the group said at the time. “For decades, left-wing faculty and administrators have been thumbing their noses at federal anti-discrimination statutes and openly discriminating on account of race and sex when appointing professors.”
In a statement to Campus Reform, Kay Jarvis, Michigan director of public affairs, said that “The University remains steadfast in its commitment to following the law” and that it “will vigorously defend against these allegations.”
Campus Reform has contacted the Michigan Law Review. This article will be updated accordingly.
