Grad student sues over recieving a C-plus claiming it cost her 1.3 Million

[PSGator66]

Can you imagine if this student won this case the precedents that it would set!

http://www.ajc.com/news/ap/education...-c-plus/nWNTc/

[orangeblueorangeblue]

Well I mean you can literally file a suit for anything.

[PSGator66]

Orangeblue - you sure can and I think in Europe if you lose this type of suit you can be moneterly punished.

[orangeblueorangeblue]

Originally Posted by PSGator66

Orangeblue - you sure can and I think in Europe if you lose this type of suit you can be moneterly punished.

Same in the U.S., it's just up to the damaged to file countersuit.

[wgbgator]

I have a lot of friends who teach college level with great stories about ridiculous student grade appeals, but I'd have to say none of them have ever been sued. Usually there are multiple appeals within the university (where the teacher basically demonstrates/does the math why they received a grade) if the student is really determined to challenge a grade. If you teach its a good idea to keep grades/student work for at least a few years beyond the course. You never know when you'll have to prove to some entitled idiot why they suck.

[gatorman_07732]

Originally Posted by wgbgator

I have a lot of friends who teach college level with great stories about ridiculous student grade appeals, but I'd have to say none of them have ever been sued. Usually there are multiple appeals within the university (where the teacher basically demonstrates/does the math why they received a grade) if the student is really determined to challenge a grade. If you teach its a good idea to keep grades/student work for at least a few years beyond the course. You never know when you'll have to prove to some entitled idiot why they suck.

University's have also dumbed it down as well. I can tell you my brother was approached by superiors to do that very thing.

[ThePlayer]

She wants to be a "licensed therapist" to do what?
Clearly she needs some therapy of her own.

Rule #1...never piss off your instructor or their learning institution.

[gatorman_07732]

Originally Posted by ThePlayer

She wants to be a "licensed therapist" to do what?
Clearly she needs some therapy of her own.

I suspect many therapists lay on someone else's couch.

[wgbgator]

Originally Posted by gatorman_07732

University's have also dumbed it down as well. I can tell you my brother was approached by superiors to do that very thing.

Well, that's because the student is essentially a customer. That's part of what fuels this. Universities cater to students every whim, so on some level I do see a certain logic in a student wanting whatever grade they want. They're treated like a pampered paying customer almost everywhere else on (and off) campus.

[Itssaul]

Originally Posted by orangeblueorangeblue

Well I mean you can literally file a suit for anything.

I'm filing a suit for revealing that kind of information.

[gatorev12]

It's a ridiculous lawsuit, to be honest. Honestly hope defense counsel has some balls and files for sanctions against the plaintiff's attorney on this one for wasting everyone's time.

[tegator80]

As long as the benefits (potential windfall for the plaintiff and especially the lawyer) outweigh the potential pitfalls (plaintiff pays court costs, lawyer gets first reprimand towards disbarment) then it will continue unabated. Some industrious people would consider the lawyer an innovator (read profit maker). We need tort reform. But just another thing that needs fixing but won't be because of the lobbying efforts.

[wgbgator]

Originally Posted by tegator80

As long as the benefits (potential windfall for the plaintiff and especially the lawyer) outweigh the potential pitfalls (plaintiff pays court costs, lawyer gets first reprimand towards disbarment) then it will continue unabated. Some industrious people would consider the lawyer an innovator (read profit maker). We need tort reform. But just another thing that needs fixing but won't be because of the lobbying efforts.

I think the problem is someone refusing to accept they got a not so good grade. After all, the lawyer is just someone hired to advocate a dumb POV. "Tort reform" isnt going to fix that. People having dumb POVs and willing to fight for it, that is.

[Gatorrick22]

Originally Posted by PSGator66

Can you imagine if this student won this case the precedents that it would set!

http://www.ajc.com/news/ap/education...-c-plus/nWNTc/

So, now even college students feel entitled to something they do not deserve? Wow this country needs to get some sort of tort sanity back from the crazies.

[tegator80]

Originally Posted by wgbgator

I think the problem is someone refusing to accept they got a not so good grade. After all, the lawyer is just someone hired to advocate a dumb POV. "Tort reform" isnt going to fix that. People having dumb POVs and willing to fight for it, that is.

My point was the pitfalls. If the plaintiff pays for the court costs then they are more likely to reflect, especially after someone brings that up to them. And if a lawyer brings up cases with no merit and gets away with it (nothing ventured, nothing gained) then they will continue to be available. Get a strike and watch their doors slam when these idiots start coming around. JMHO

[wygator]

Her dad's a professor at the school and he's weighing in on her behalf. From the article:

Stephen Thode, the plaintiff's father and a longtime finance professor at Lehigh, testified on his daughter's behalf and said her participation score was highly irregular.
"I have never heard of a case, not just at Lehigh, where a student achieved a zero in class participation where they attended and participated in every class," he said.

Of course, after bombing in the class, she could have transferred to another school and tried to enter a different program. But since her dad is a prof, she was probably getting the education free at Lehigh and they didn't want to foot the bill for a different school

[wygator]

I think a lot of people who go into psych have issues of their own, thus the interest.

[wgbgator]

Originally Posted by wygator

Her dad's a professor at the school and he's weighing in on her behalf. From the article:



Wow.

If the teacher has a good rubric, it should be pretty easy to demonstrate why they got a 0. If not, then I would be surprised that the Dept would not have already sided with the student if the 0 was completely subjective and attendance/participation was documented.

[Gatorrick22]

Maybe that defendant didn't like the girls father?

[gatorev12]

People: this case has nothing to do with torts. The lawyer's suing under breach of contract and discrimination based upon the girl's advocacy for gay marriage--and neither cause of action are considered torts.