Yesterday, we commented on BREAKING NEWS to tell you that the Michigan Attorney General issued an opinion stating that the Michigan Civil Rights Commission interpreted the Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights Act (ELCRA) to include a ban on discriminating against folks based upon their Sexual Orientation and Gender Identification, in short against the LGTBQ community in our state. At about the same time, the MCRC announced that it was directing the agency to CONTINUE investigating complaints of discrimination based upon orientation and gender identification. MCRC indicated that it did not believe the AG’s opinion was binding on the MCRC because it is a constitutionally authorized body with the power to interpret the laws which it administers.
Clearly, the matter is headed for the State’s Supreme Court. So, once again we say–STAY TUNED and we will keep you apprised of developments. For our clients, the safe path is to assume that right now such discrimination, whatever your view as to whether or not it should be, is illegal.