Monday, February 18, 2013

Judge rules that student’s lawsuit over C plus doesn’t make grade. Should courts ever get involved in grade disputes? | Get Schooled

Judge rules that student’s lawsuit over C plus doesn’t make grade. Should courts ever get involved in grade disputes? | Get Schooled:


Judge rules that student’s lawsuit over C plus doesn’t make grade. Should courts ever get involved in grade disputes?

report cardThe Pennsylvania woman who sued her graduate school professors over a C plus lost in court last week. Northampton County Judge Emil Giordano ruled that Megan Thode failed to prove that her grade in a Lehigh University  fieldwork course was the result of any sort of discrimination. (See our earlier blog discussion of the lawsuit.)
In her quest for $1.3 million in damages, Thode argued that the low grade prevented her from advancing in her licensed professional counselor program and forced her to opt for a less prestigious degree that meant a lower income.
The Morning Call, the area newspaper covering this case, has done a great job, including this followup about the prevalence of using the courts to resolve grading disputes.
Here is an except, but look at the entire piece:
Attorneys for Lehigh noted on the first day of the trial that if Northampton County Judge Emil Giordano changed Thode’s grade, his decision would be unprecedented.
They were right, said Philadelphia …