Michigan Appeals Court Allows Civil Rights Watchdog to Investigate Past Three-Year Deadline

Ruling keeps alive probes into police practices and other public-sector behavior that would have been cut off by time limit

Published on Feb. 14, 2026

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A Michigan appeals court has ruled that the Michigan Department of Civil Rights (MDCR) can continue investigations into alleged discrimination even when the events are more than three years old, rejecting an argument from the City of Grand Rapids that the three-year filing deadline should block older complaints. The court's decision preserves MDCR's ability to pursue complicated or slow-moving matters where evidence, witnesses, or cooperation take time to line up, despite a 2023 audit that found significant delays in the department's investigations.

Why it matters

The ruling is significant as it allows MDCR to investigate potential systemic issues, such as policing practices, that may take longer than three years to uncover, rather than being limited by a strict time limit. This could lead to greater accountability for public institutions, though the decision does not affect the three-year deadline for individuals to file lawsuits in court.

The details

The appeals court held that MDCR's administrative power to investigate complaints and decide whether to file charges is not rigidly controlled by the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act's three-year filing deadline, rejecting Grand Rapids' argument that investigations older than three years must automatically end. The court's ruling preserves MDCR's ability to pursue complicated or slow-moving matters where evidence, witnesses, or cooperation take time to line up. This comes after a 2023 audit found MDCR investigations took an average of 19 months to complete, with 62% of sampled cases experiencing significant delays.

  • The Michigan Court of Appeals issued its ruling on February 14, 2026.
  • A 2023 performance audit by the Michigan Office of the Auditor General found MDCR investigations took an average of 19 months to complete.
  • The City of Grand Rapids sued MDCR in 2023, claiming the three-year limit should block the department from pursuing older complaints.
  • A trial court tossed the city's lawsuit in April 2024, sending the dispute to the Court of Appeals.
  • The Legislature increased MDCR's enforcement budget for fiscal 2024 in response to the audit findings.

The players

Michigan Department of Civil Rights (MDCR)

The state civil rights enforcement agency responsible for investigating discrimination complaints.

City of Grand Rapids

A Michigan city that sued MDCR, arguing the three-year filing deadline should block the department from pursuing older complaints.

Michigan Office of the Auditor General

The state agency that conducted a 2023 performance audit of MDCR, finding significant delays in the department's investigations.

ACLU of Michigan

A civil rights organization that filed a friend-of-the-court brief supporting MDCR's authority to investigate past the three-year deadline.

Michigan Legislature

Increased MDCR's enforcement budget for fiscal 2024 in response to the audit findings.

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What’s next

Either side could still ask the Michigan Supreme Court to step in, and city leaders, civil-rights advocates, and state officials are weighing whether further appeals are likely.

The takeaway

This case highlights the tension between statutes of limitation and the need for civil rights enforcement agencies to thoroughly investigate potential systemic issues, even if they take longer than the standard filing deadline. The ruling preserves MDCR's ability to look into complex matters, but the department's chronic understaffing and backlog issues remain a concern.