Suing Over grades?

[luvmy3]

I hope the judge orders her to pay all of the college's legal fees. This is about as ridiculous as it gets.

And retro active tuition

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

The lawsuit sounds like a silly waste of time. She deserves absoultely nothing.

I noticed it was mentioned before, what's to stop her from re-taking the class (presumably with a different professor)? Maybe it would take some effort or something?

 

[luvmy3]

The lawsuit sounds like a silly waste of time. She deserves absoultely nothing.

I noticed it was mentioned before, what's to stop her from re-taking the class (presumably with a different professor)?

I know this is OT, but your avatar really freaks me out!

 

[mhsjax]

While I do agree that this person is probably a little off. I would also question her father, who is a PROFESSOR there. I mean, sure we can all bash this girl for being a snowflake, but really don't you expect more from a professor. I mean I know most here are very teacher oriented and go with their side of the story and yet we have a college professor speaking up for his daughter? Makes you wonder about teachers as well.

 

[daughter_of_amid_chaos]

The lawsuit sounds like a silly waste of time. She deserves absoultely nothing.

I noticed it was mentioned before, what's to stop her from re-taking the class (presumably with a different professor)? Maybe it would take some effort or something?

In my Masters program and my PhD program, there was usually only one professor who taught the class every time it was offered.

 

[Aliceacc]

This is what happens when snowflakes grow up.

I'm not sure I would call her a grown up.

From the article: "

Lehigh’s lawyers allege that Thode’s behavior in class was not acceptable for someone seeking a master’s degree in counseling. On at least one occasion, they said, she used profanity in class. Another time, she broke down crying.

Before filing her lawsuit, Thode filed complaints with the university over the C+ grade, showing up at meetings with her father, the finance professor. "

So daddy accompanied his swearing, crying , 25 year old MASTER'S candidate daughter to the meetings.

Yeah, she's definitely someone I want as a counselor, don't you???

 

[Phdmama06]

Wow. I'm not sure I would call her a grown up either. Getting all perks from daddy, not behaving in class, and suing over a bad grade which sounds like it was probably warranted? There goes another young 'un with a sense of entitlement!

 

[RitaZ.]

I noticed it was mentioned before, what's to stop her from re-taking the class (presumably with a different professor)? Maybe it would take some effort or something?

That's not always possible in graduate school. Most of the time, especially for smaller grad programs, classes are only offered during specific times of the year and only taught by one professor; which doesn't give students a lot of options.

I wonder what she did to earn a zero in class participation. I'm sure there is more to the story.

 

[Phdmama06]

That's not always possible in graduate school. Most of the time, especially for smaller grad programs, classes are only offered during specific times of the year and only taught by specific professors; which doesn't leave students with a lot of options.

I wonder what she did to earn a zero in class participation. I'm sure there is more to the story.

A different article suggested she was disruptive in class, eg crying, swearing, and such. Didnt really say how much or how bad though.

 

[A_Princess'_Daddy]

http://news.yahoo.com/lehigh-university-student-got-c-now-seeks-1-124956605.html

Interesting article. I wonder if we will start seeing more of this?

Very sad, but also not that new of a concept. When I was in grad school there was at least one law suit against my university over a grade and a law graduate from another fairly prestigious law school was suing that law school for a refund of their full tuition and "lost years of income" because he couldn't find a job. This was over 12 years ago. I suspect both lost (I never heard the resolutions to either) and suspect this one will lose, as well...

 

[BCDisneyFanatic]

While I do agree that this person is probably a little off. I would also question her father, who is a PROFESSOR there. I mean, sure we can all bash this girl for being a snowflake, but really don't you expect more from a professor. I mean I know most here are very teacher oriented and go with their side of the story and yet we have a college professor speaking up for his daughter? Makes you wonder about teachers as well.

Huh? The actions on an isolated university professor (who, incidentally, likely has no official teachers' training) makes you wonder about teachers in general?

 

[shellybaxter]

Very sad, but also not that new of a concept. When I was in grad school there was at least one law suit against my university over a grade and a law graduate from another fairly prestigious law school was suing that law school for a refund of their full tuition and "lost years of income" because he couldn't find a job. This was over 12 years ago. I suspect both lost (I never heard the resolutions to either) and suspect this one will lose, as well...

Agreed - legal challenges to grades are nothing new - and sometimes they are warranted - not that I think they are this time - but professors aren't always professional - they are just human after all

 

[disykat]

I would love to see them test her on the subject. I'm not sure how you could test for classroom participation, however.

Many college classes require classroom participation. I would say over half of mine did majoring in music, education, and sociology. Certainly most counseling classes would. When I was in college, one of my classes had the participation requirement of being part of a counseling group - which was facilitated by counseling students who were doing it as part of their classroom participation grade. If you didn't show up AND participate, you got an F. In other classes, you were expected to do classroom presentations and to participate in the presentations of other students.

I had some classes, like basic biology where the only thing I was graded on was tests and I could have skipped every class, but those were mostly large 100 level courses in my case. Smaller, higher level classes had participation expectations just like you would have in a lab class etc.

As a teacher, especially a music teacher, grades are often participation grades. I find it an easy thing to grade based on a rubric of what appropriate participation looks like. It's easy to grade, just not as easy to PROVE if students decide to sue you afterwards.

 

[Aliceacc]

I would love to see them test her on the subject. I'm not sure how you could test for classroom participation, however.

I can see how, in a class that prepared people to be counselors, classroom participation would be incredibly important. Knowing all the answers is only part of what's necessary for a good counselor. The ability to effectively communicate those answers, without cursing or crying, would be another very important part of the job.

I would imagine thare's a rubric that's given to students at the beginning of the semester.

I teach math. I don't grade classroom participation. In math, it's entirely possible to demonstrate competancy in my class without saying a word. But counseling is a different matter.

While I do agree that this person is probably a little off. I would also question her father, who is a PROFESSOR there. I mean, sure we can all bash this girl for being a snowflake, but really don't you expect more from a professor. I mean I know most here are very teacher oriented and go with their side of the story and yet we have a college professor speaking up for his daughter? Makes you wonder about teachers as well.

I'm sorry, but just what is it you wonder about my teaching? Or my husband's? Or that of the many professional educators with whom I work?

I would say that man is failing his daughter, not his students. All we know about his students is that he has some at that college. The entire story is about his daughter, not those students. It's his parenting that's in question, not his teaching. The two are not the same. The story makes me wonder about the parenting of this man and his wife. No broader implications, since the story deals with one very particular woman.

The lack of logic I sometimes see on these boards is astounding.

 

[eliza61]

This is what happens when snowflakes grow up.

I think I seriously love you!!

 

[eliza61]

I agree with that, but it is much more. First, lawyers are looking to make the news. The competition in the legal field, mainly due to the sheer volume of lawyers, creates an incubator for these cases. Shameless as it is there is always some lawyer out there willing to take on a case with publicity.

Second, people have lost a sense of decorum and seek public attention. Everything is shared on Facebook. People go on reality shows and make fools of themselves and rush to the Today Show to spill their stories to the public. It seems like any form of coverage, positive or negative, is considered a good thing. The woman in this lawsuit seems to have no problem sharing her stupidity with the general public.

Lastly, the pervasive entitlement mentality. We are doing it to ourselves.

Excellent point Sanchez,
Seriously I went to grad school, heck even in undergrad flunking a class was definitely not some thing I broadcasted. I was a science major and I absolutely stunk at writing courses. Of course in order to graduate you have to have a few units of English and writing. I remember getting a D in one class and tried to devise a plan where i could infiltrate the US post office, steal my grades and replace them with a phoney one just so my parents wouldn't find out!! I figure it was either that or leave town for south america!!

 

[Heidict]

I love the fact that daddy came with her to fight the grade. The members of the board must of been cracking up after they left. I would think he would be the joke of campus now, after raising a daughter like her.

Not only do I hope that she loses, but do you think it's possible they can take away the degree they gave her? I don't think she is even mature enough for that.

 

[TinkerBelled]

Many college classes require classroom participation. I would say over half of mine did majoring in music, education, and sociology. Certainly most counseling classes would. When I was in college, one of my classes had the participation requirement of being part of a counseling group - which was facilitated by counseling students who were doing it as part of their classroom participation grade. If you didn't show up AND participate, you got an F. In other classes, you were expected to do classroom presentations and to participate in the presentations of other students.

This raises the only question I have: an F is different than a zero. In most cases, an F is translated as a 60. Getting a zero translates to something much, much worse. For most college professors, it's a very specific grade that means a very specific thing: no contribution whatsoever. You come to an exam and write a hugely weak essay? You could get an F, but you're not getting a 0. (You don't take the exam, you get the zero.) I would be interested to know what exactly earned her a 0 rather than an F--it's a far, far harsher grade than a fail.

Also, for what it's worth, with no context I have no problem with the swearing or the crying. I mean, if she were a manic, gibbering mess, I would be worried. But grad classes are full of adults, and I've been at plenty where the gentler swear words were used. As for the crying, one can assume that during counseling classes one is dealing with difficult and emotional subject matter. To take it cross genre, she bursts into tears during a discussion of Pride and Prejudice? I worry. She tears up when talking about her experiences working with an abused child? That doesn't bother me. (It's all about context.)

That said, litigiousness for its own sake is ridiculous. This suit seems pretty shaky, and unless she can show sustained, clear evidence of bias, it will get thrown out in a hot second.

 

[disykat]

You can easily google a class participation rubric that will answer that question. If there are point deductions, (such as using foul language, being disruptive or argumentative, using her cell phone, etc.) she could have technically had a score less than 0.

 

[Arielle22]

I had an employee last year who is similar to this woman. She worked for us for about 9 months. At one point she told me it was the company's responsibility to make sure she was happy while working.

After she left, she thought her final wages should be paid immediately. When I stated it would be in the next regular payroll, she had her mom call me. The mom was irate when I said I wouldn't discuss her adult daughter's employment with her (then I knew where the daughter got her warped ideas). The employee and the mom then called the CFO who backed me.

Last month I was looking at an uncashed check report and she didn't bother to cash the final check that she had pestered me for.

Earlier this week she emailed me to say that she hadn't received her W-2 yet. She had to copy both parents on her email. I don't know why the W-2 wasn't received since it was sent before the deadline but I said I would send a copy. During our email exchange I would reply to only her but she had to keep putting her parents back on the email.

I would be embarassed as an adult and having to ask my parents to come to meetings with me or intercede at school or work.