It was inevitable.
The University of Michigan has initiated a legal challenge to the suspension of coach Jim Harbuagh. The school hopes to block the suspension before it begins.
Angelique Chengelis of the Detroit News reports that Michigan has filed a request for a temporary restraining order aimed at preventing the Big 10 from suspending Harbaugh.
Typically, such a request is made as part of a civil action seeking what’s known as permanent injunctive relief and, pending the resolution of the case, a preliminary injunction preventing the action being challenged (here, the suspension) from proceeding. A TRO is an emergency effort to freeze the situation in place until the court can begin to sort things out.
Via Tony Paul of the Detroit News, the case has been assigned to Judge Timothy Connors, who is also a lecturer at the Michigan law school.
A request for a TRO typically is resolved quickly, usually without the defendants even having a chance to respond. Given that the Big 10 imposed the suspension one day before Michigan is due to play Penn State, the development shouldn’t come as a surprise to the conference.
Harbaugh has been suspended for the rest of the regular season. He’s allow to coach during the week, but not on game days.
