University of Michigan asks for review of misconduct ruling

DETROIT – The University of Michigan has asked a federal appeals court to set aside a decision giving students accused of sexual misconduct at universities the right to cross-examine accusers at disciplinary hearings.

The Ann Arbor school last week asked the full court to start over and hear the case decided this month by a three-judge panel at the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. It ruled the university violated the rights of a male student by refusing to allow him or a representative to question witnesses in an alleged incident of sexual misconduct.

The court overturned a previous decision favouring the school and dismissed a lawsuit by the male student. He agreed to leave the school in 2016.

The university argues requiring schools to allow cross-examination will prompt “full-scale adversarial hearings.”