JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools has denied Edward Waters College's appeal of the loss of its accreditation, but the school Monday won a temporary injunction blocking the group's action.

School officials learned late Friday the appeal was denied. On Monday, the school filed a federal lawsuit challenging that decision and asked for an injunction.

At a hearing Monday afternoon, U.S. District Judge Timothy Corrigan issued a restraining order, stopped the association from removing the college's accreditation. Another hearing is scheduled for Thursday.

"The college remains accredited, pending the results of this litigation," said Tom Benberg, associate executive director, Commission on Colleges, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. "On advice of counsel, I cannot comment further."

The college's legal counsel, Mike Freed, said the college admits that a lack of oversight allowed the submission of a plagiarized document to the oversight group last year.

"The college doesn't step away from the fact that a mistake was made and that there was not adequate oversight in that one instance," Freed said.

The plagiarism is blamed on a college vice president who is no longer at the school, and Freed said the punishment is too harsh for the infraction.

"We are optimistic the law and the facts are on our side," he said of the school's chances of winning the legal challenge.

Last Tuesday, Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton and Florida Lt. Gov. Toni Jennings joined school officials at an appeals hearing in Atlanta.

In a letter to interim Edward Waters President Oswald Bronson Sr. Friday, chairman of the SACS appeals committee, Kenneth Schwab, said the panel unanimously decided to affirm the decision to remove Edward Waters College from membership based on the integrity and governance standards of the college.

EWC officials have warned that loss of accreditation, and the subsequent loss of federal tuition assistance for students, could be disastrous for the school. Students at non-accredited schools are also not eligable for scholarships from the United Negro College Fund.

An estimated 90 percent of the college's students receive financial aid.

The uncertainty about the school's future has already caused the second semester enrollment to drop from about 1,300 students to 900.

EWC President Jimmy Jenkins resigned last month, saying he wanted to give the private Jacksonville college its best shot at successfully appealing the decision to revoke its accreditation.

Edward Waters College, established in 1866 to educate the descendants of blacks newly emancipated from slavery, is a private four-year liberal arts co-educational residential institution, committed to Christian principles which emphasize high moral and spiritual values, as a result of its close affiliation with, and support from, the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

The college offers baccalaureate degrees in the arts and sciences and other career-based professional fields.