The U.S. Supreme Court has denied the petition filed by former University of Michigan Law Professor Laura Beny against Mark D. West, WashU’s provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs. The petition asked the Supreme Court to review the legal standard applied in her racial and gender discrimination case against the University of Michigan and West.

In its Nov. 24 order, the Supreme Court denied the petition for a writ of certiorari — the formal request to have the Court review the legal standard applied in the case — meaning the Court chose not to hear it, and the Sixth Circuit’s decision remains final.

The Sixth Circuit Court had affirmed a lower court summary judgment that found the plaintiff, Laura Beny, had failed to provide sufficient evidence establishing that West did not “honestly believe” in his reasons for taking disciplinary action against her.

Beny filed the original lawsuit with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan in 2022. She alleged that West, during his time at the University of Michigan, subjected her to improper and discriminatory disciplinary action, baselessly suggested she might have access to weapons, and sent her emails that she alleges constitute sexual harassment.

With the denial of certiorari, the lawsuit is effectively closed at the federal level. For WashU and West, the court’s decision means no further federal review, leaving the earlier courts’ findings intact.

More details on the original case and its timeline can be found here.