The Michigan Supreme Court, in a 5-2 decision May 7, upheld the Michigan Court of Appeals ban on same-sex partner benefits, holding they are precluded by the Michigan Marriage Amendment approved by voters in 2004.
The February 2007 decision by the lower court prohibited universities and other state public institutions from providing benefits to employees on the basis of a same-sex partner relationship.
“We are hearing concerns from faculty and staff, so I want to take this opportunity to reiterate that the University of Michigan does not offer benefits on the basis of same-sex domestic partner relationships. That category of eligibility was eliminated more than a year ago after the Court of Appeals made its ruling,” says Laurita Thomas, associate vice president for human resources.
“The University cares deeply about the recruitment and retention of its outstanding faculty and staff, and we design our benefits with these principles in mind. We believe all of our current benefit offerings are in full compliance with the law in the state of Michigan.”
