MI school union contracts retain clauses for hiring based on race

By Tom Gantert | Michigan Capitol Confidential

At least five public school districts have language in their union contracts that could be in violation of the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative, which was passed in 2006 and bans discrimination in hiring based on race at public institutions.

Some school districts, such as Ann Arbor, have tweaked the language in prior contracts and now claim the revised language is legal. Others such as Kalamazoo say the contract language is constitutional because it must be read in conjunction with a federal court desegregation order.

at Michigan Capitol Confidential.