Michigan Supreme Court looks at decisions at Catholic school

The parents of a girl who was rejected by Notre Dame Preparatory School in Pontiac allege she was illegally turned down in 2014 because of a learning disability.

Lawyers for the school and its sponsor, the Marist Fathers of Detroit, said details of the admissions process really aren't crucial in this case because state and federal courts already have carved out protections for their decisions.

Notre Dame Preparatory won that round when the appeals court said it would follow a precedent set in 1994 in a lawsuit at another Catholic school.

Cliff Taylor, a conservative who would later become Supreme Court chief justice, dissented in the 2-1 decision, saying it "mistakenly creates an irrebuttable presumption in favor of religious institutions."

If they open the door to any second-guessing of admission decisions," he said of the Supreme Court, "the list of potential discrimination claims will be as long as your arm.