MARIETTA — Life University’s accrediting agency announced Thursday it will appeal a federal judge’s decision to reinstate the school’s chiropractic accreditation.

The Council on Chiropractic Education appealed the decision of Senior U.S. District Judge Charles Moye Jr. and requested an immediate stay of his order until the appeal process is complete.

“We expected the CCE to appeal,” Life’s Board of Trustee Dr. Stewart Rowberry said Thursday. “They are just following the legal process.”

Washington, D.C.-based attorney Mark Pelesh, who is representing the CCE, did not return phone calls for comment Thursday.

Despite Moye’s request that the two sides work together to try to settle the dispute out of court, CCE’s appeal casts some doubt that the two sides will adhere to the judge’s request.

“I’ve had a feeling from the very beginning that the CCE wants nothing good to happen to Life University and their decision to appeal is another sign of that,” trustee Dr. Thomas Klapp said. “They want nothing more than to put us out of business because they obviously don’t want to talk to us.”

Officials with the CCE refused to comment Thursday. They directed all inquiries to a statement posted on their Web site, but the site wasn’t working Thursday night.

Life spokesman Will Hurst said no meetings have been scheduled with the CCE to discuss plans to settle the lawsuit out of court.

Life filed a suit against the Arizona-based accrediting agency last December claiming the CCE acted unfairly in its decision to strip the Marietta institution of its chiropractic accreditation.

pgiltman@mdjonline.com