University of Michigan Law Professor Loses Race, Sex Bias Appeal

The University of Michigan and a former dean of its law school defeated a Black female law professor’s bid to revive her race and sex discrimination lawsuit.

Laura Beny lacked evidence that the reasons given for issuing her a third disciplinary notice, which resulted in her pay being frozen and other consequences, weren’t honestly believed, a unanimous US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit said Tuesday. Under the honest-belief doctrine, that meant Beny failed to back her prima facie showings by refuting the university’s explanation as a pretext for bias or retaliation, the unpublished opinion said.

Nothing suggested ...