Professor ruined my reputation in college, can I sue?

[Sybil226]

What is the name of your state? New York

Two years ago I had a seriously difficult semester in college. I was working the night shift (up until 2 and 3am), while enrolled in school full time to pay my rent/bills
At the same time, I was being treated for depression and attention deficit and I was on medication.

Well, the late working hours soon took a toll on my health, and there was a point where I felt I could not continue and was about to crash. I asked my professors for help, and I received accomodations from 3 out of 4 college professors. The problem was with the fourth, a biology professor who showed total opposition to giving me any kind of "advantage" by extending deadlines on projects and tests. He refused to give me any sort of extension, not a single day, nothing at all.

When I failed the first test in his class, I was devastated and showed up in his office.I told him I was not going to be able to continue, and asked if I could withdraw from the course. He refused and acted stiff and condescending. For some reason he always saw me as a slacker, and not like a student with a difficult situation and a disability. I had to stay in the class for the remainder of the semester, but in the end I withdrew from the entire semester because of medical reasons.

The problem arose when this professor approached the honors program (his class was an honors course) and completely demolished my character and my academic integrity without ever mentioning anything related to my health/financial conditions.
Since his attitude towards me truly affected me and angered me, after numerous attempts to get accomodations, and after receiving an attitude from him and rejections of all of my requests, I refused to have any further communication with him and I treated him with the very same contempt that he treated me.

He approached the honors program, accused me of being "rude" and "lacking in decorum", said I was not fit for the honors program, accused me of "sleeping in class", which I did a few times, and while I agree that it was wrong, I believe he should have at least disclosed the fact that he was "aware that I was working until 3am and he knew about it" if he wanted to make an honest complaint. But he did not mention this, of course. He did not bother to mention that I had made him fully aware of my financial and health conditions. He simply accused me of slacking, neglecting my studies and lacking in decorum without further explanation. If he wanted to kick me out of the honors program for truthful reasons, let's say, because "my economic and financial reasons did not allow me to put the effort it took to stay", I would have not felt offended or slandered. But he went as far as to claim that "I appeared as if I was doing drugs" even though he KNEW that I was indeed, taking medication for my problems, but he did not state that, he said I appeared like a "drug-addict."

Then the honors professor who received the complaint contacted me to inform me that I was out of the program and that many other professors had been informed of my behavior and did not want me in their class. I explained to this professor that I barely could pay my rent and that I suffered from depression and ADD, and the response he gave me was: "Well, these professors don't care. Some say you should'nt even be allowed to remain in this college."

I was in complete shock and disbelief that these people had created this horrible image of me when the reality was that I was going through something really rough. In previous semesters, when I was not working late or had to pay rent, I had held a 4.0 gpa, was a tutor, and won a number of awards. Now I fear walking through the halls of this school because I don't know what faculty is saying behind my back after what this professor did.

Is there anything I can do legally to resolve this problem? It was devastating, especially knowing that the professors KNEW of my true problems and still concealed them in his negative evaluations. He described me like he would a criminal/drug addict, even though I have never even done drugs in my life. I was taking prescription medications from my doctor.

Any advice on this would be greatly appreciated.

 

[john123456]

accused me of being "rude" and "lacking in decorum”
sounds right

I was not fit for the honors program
sounds reasonable

accused me of "sleeping in class", which I did a few times
ok

Is there anything I can do legally to resolve this problem?
What did you have in mind? The professor did not slander you. Everything he said was true. Suck it up and finish your schooling.

 

[Sybil226]

Sorry if the thread is long. I guess I'll try to shorten it so I can get at least a meaningful response!

 

[Sybil226]

In reply to john123456 :

Assuming your statements are correct, do you believe students with a disability and/or other personal problems should be barred from all accommodations/school programs because of their disabilities and/or economic/social status?
If a student with a disability or an economic problem fails a course because he did not receive proper accomodations/school support, he should be kicked out of college, and labeled a slacker by school's faculty? And he should also be barred from a program where he previously succeded when his problems were under control?
And a student who is taking prescription medication can legally be accused of possibly doing drugs by professors, when professors know he's under medical treatment and NOT under illegal drugs' influence?
And if a professor is rude to a student, and the student responds in kind, should the student be punished while the professor be allowed to treat students in any way he desires?

 

[gryndor]

In reply to john123456 :

Assuming your statements are correct, do you believe students with a disability and/or other personal problems should be barred from all accommodations/school programs because of their disabilities and/or economic/social status?
If a student with a disability or an economic problem fails a course because he did not receive proper accomodations/school support, he should be kicked out of college, and labeled a slacker by school's faculty? And he should also be barred from a program where he previously succeded when his problems were under control?
And a student who is taking prescription medication can legally be accused of possibly doing drugs by professors, when professors know he's under medical treatment and NOT under illegal drugs' influence?
And if a professor is rude to a student, and the student responds in kind, should the student be punished while the professor be allowed to treat students in any way he desires?

If the professor believed what he said was true, or it was his opinion, or it was the truth, then you have no case.

If you are able to prove that he lied and did it with malicious intent, then you may have a case.

Move on.

 

[meganproser]

It's the prof's job to evaluate students and to share those evaluations with the other staff. His comments about you would be privileged, unless he abused the privilege by making statements he knew were false.

>Now I fear walking through the halls of this school because I don't know what faculty is saying behind my back after what this professor did.

The best revenge is success. Hold your head high and do the best you can in school. The better your grades, the more you hurt the prof’s credibility. The best you can do about this situation is prove to everyone else how wrong this guy was.

>I refused to have any further communication with him and I treated him with the very same contempt that he treated me.

Think about that strategy and maybe you will learn one of life's biggest lessons. Your ability to play politics will dictate exactly how far you go in any endeavor.

You had everything to lose and NOTHING to gain, by mistreating someone who has control over your future. It may have felt good to dis him, but as you have seen, such indulgence comes at a high price. The next time you feel someone is being unfair to you, use your head and really give some thought to how you might gain his cooperation.

>And if a professor is rude to a student, and the student responds in kind, should the student be punished while the professor be allowed to treat students in any way he desires?

It's not always fair, but rank does have its privileges. You have to learn to think a problem through, rather than reacting on an emotional level. You sound quite intelligent. You just need to gain control over your emotions and let your head lead the way when dealing with difficult people.

Good luck to you!

 

[Sybil226]

"If the professor believed what he said was true, or it was his opinion, or it was the truth, then you have no case."

Well, he stated the facts concealing a lot of information. In other words, he willfully misrepresented the facts by concealing the fact that he was aware of my problems. For example, he said: "She neglected her studies", instead of "She informed me she was in economical/emotional turmoil and asked for accomodations, which I did not provide, so she failed to complete her studies."
Or "She is not fit to be in the honors program" instead of "she cannot be in the honors program in her current situation."

Do you see the malice in his intent? He did not allow me to withdraw. He did not provide accomodations.

"If you are able to prove that he lied and did it with malicious intent, then you may have a case."

The reason I think he lied is because:
a) He was angry that I did not do well in his course (hurting his ego.)
b) He was angry because I asked for accomodations.
c) He was angry that I wanted to withdraw from the course.
d) I responded in kind when he was nasty to me.
Therefore: He decided to use the situation against me.


"Move on."

This is something that I always wonder. I have moved on from this in many ways. I dared take another science class and I got a B+ with another professor. I dared go into the science department again.

When it comes to "moving on", when should you really move on? If I had gotten raped, should I rather "move on"? If I had a relative murdered, should I "move on" without making justice?

When should you make justice and when should you move on? People criticize you when you hold a grudge and tell you to move on. But at the same time, there's something positive about making justice. I mean, at least you get to make sure (or at least more likely) that it won't happen again to somebody else, and it serves to discourage a behavior.

So, what would anyone do in a situation where you feel you've been wronged? Should you simply move on and let it be?

 

[john123456]

do you believe students with a disability and/or other personal problems should be barred from all accommodations/school programs because of their disabilities and/or economic/social status?
What is your legally defined disability?

And a student who is taking prescription medication can legally be accused of possibly doing drugs by professors, when professors know he's under medical treatment and NOT under illegal drugs' influence?
You admitted you were taking drugs.


The bottom line is the professor/school is not required to “accommodate” you because you elect to work every night until 2:00 a.m. and then fall asleep in class.

 

[Sybil226]

Thank you, MeganProser, for your kind advice. I wish I had had a mom give me this advice when I was younger, but I didn't, so I'm learning this the hard way as an adult. Surely I won't do it again. But the bad part of it is that I got so traumatized, that I no longer join many academic organizations or endeavors in college. I felt the professor deserved this after he completely neglected the horrible situation I was going through. I also had thought it was mandated by law to provide accommodations to students with disabilities or in rough economic situations, though I'm not totally certain this is true.

I have less than a year left in this school, but I was thinking whether it would be worth it to at least address this issue, if not in a lawsuit, at least in a letter to the dean or something. Do you think it would be worth it?

Thanks for your advice. It is greatly appreciated.

It's the prof's job to evaluate students and to share those evaluations with the other staff. His comments about you would be privileged, unless he abused the privilege by making statements he knew were false.

>Now I fear walking through the halls of this school because I don't know what faculty is saying behind my back after what this professor did.

The best revenge is success. Hold your head high and do the best you can in school. The better your grades, the more you hurt the prof’s credibility. The best you can do about this situation is prove to everyone else how wrong this guy was.

>I refused to have any further communication with him and I treated him with the very same contempt that he treated me.

Think about that strategy and maybe you will learn one of life's biggest lessons. Your ability to play politics will dictate exactly how far you go in any endeavor.

You had everything to lose and NOTHING to gain, by mistreating someone who has control over your future. It may have felt good to dis him, but as you have seen, such indulgence comes at a high price. The next time you feel someone is being unfair to you, use your head and really give some thought to how you might gain his cooperation.

>And if a professor is rude to a student, and the student responds in kind, should the student be punished while the professor be allowed to treat students in any way he desires?

It's not always fair, but rank does have its privileges. You have to learn to think a problem through, rather than reacting on an emotional level. You sound quite intelligent. You just need to gain control over your emotions and let your head lead the way when dealing with difficult people.

Good luck to you!

 

[Sybil226]

do you believe students with a disability and/or other personal problems should be barred from all accommodations/school programs because of their disabilities and/or economic/social status?

What is your legally defined disability?
Depression and Attention Deficit.

And a student who is taking prescription medication can legally be accused of possibly doing drugs by professors, when professors know he's under medical treatment and NOT under illegal drugs' influence?

You admitted you were taking drugs.
I don't take drugs. I took antidepressants that have side-effects like sleepiness.

The bottom line is the professor/school is not required to “accommodate” you because you elect to work every night until 2:00 a.m. and then fall asleep in class.

I did not choose it. That's the only job I could get that allowed time to take morning classes. I had no choice. But you must be right. If someone cannot go to college like all the other kids because of economic problems, they're better off not going to college at all. That's the system in the US, right? Only those with money can go to college. Poor kids "might" be able to graduate with accomodations, but "the professor is absolutely not required to accomodate you because you decided to be economically disadvantaged."

Excellent way of analysing the issue.

 

[john123456]

Excellent way of analysing the issue.

Another satisfied customer.

 

[cbg]

My knowledge of the ADA comes from employment law, not education. Take it for what it's worth, or ignore it altogether. After all, it's free.

If this were an employment situation and your professor were an employer, this is what I would be telling you:

1.) Attention Deficit Disorder and depression MAY qualify as disabilities under the ADA. However, neither AUTOMATICALLY grants you GUARANTEED protection under the ADA. The ONLY condition with automatic protection is HIV/AIDS. EVERY other condition, INCLUDING both ADD and depression, must be looked at on a case by case basis. Just because you have been diagnosed with these conditions does NOT mean that you automatically have ADA protection.

2.) Even someone who has been determined to qualify under the ADA does NOT get to choose her own accomodation. The (employer) is NOT required to give her the accomodation she demands or even the one the doctor recommends; he is only required to give her one that works; and only that if it is considered "reasonable". What is "reasonable" varies considerably from situation to situation.

3.) An (employer) is NOT required to do any of the following (I am including only those items which might apply in this situation - if this really were an employment situation the list would be longer):
a.) allow her to violate (company) policies INCLUDING tardiness or absence policies
b.) allow her to perform to a lower standard that would not be acceptable for other (employees)
c.) unless specifically agreed to in an accomodation before hand, turn in work late or not at all

An (employer) is often required to keep confidential any information about disabilities. Therefore, if this were really an employment situation, I would be pointing out that legally he might not be ALLOWED to add the qualifiers you require.

As I said, take it for what its worth or ignore it altogether. But the laws from education and employment aren't going to be THAT different.

 

[cmorris]

Are you registered with your school's disability office? If so, you should have contacted them ASAP. I'm assuming you aren't, based on your posts. Therefore, NO professor has to give you any accomodations.

Being poor doesn't give accomodations at all. The only thing that does is allow the opportunity for grants and federal work-study. If housing was an issue, you could live on campus and have the money taken from loans/grants.

There are lots of poor people that attend school and it can be done. Many people are poor and have kids while attending school, making it even more difficult.

Sorry you had a rough time. But the only thing you can do is move on. I'm assuming many professors hear sob stories just to get extensions. They don't like it. If you can't do the work, get out. Why can't you go part-time or take night classes?

And comparing this to murder or rape is ridiculous.

 

[Sybil226]

I knew somebody would come and tell me that "There's people in much worse situations and my story is ridiculous." There's always going to be people in worse situations, so, no disability or poverty, even together, are worth giving someone some help. I've seen students getting help for all kinds of less serous family problems, the flu, a cold, etc, and they don't get called slackers and all sorts of adjectives.

I never said this was equal to rape or murder, so don't twist my words around. I only used those terms to ponder WHEN you should simply 'move on' and when you should take legal action. So you're saying that if the crime is severe enough, like rape, you should address it. If it's a small crime, then just move on, after all, small crimes are 'ok.' That was my point. Never said both actions were equal.

Everybody has problems, but just because there's people who are dying from aids at the local hospital doesn't mean your problems are ridiculous and shouldn't be addressed, if that's the point you're making.

 

[cmorris]

No one said small crimes are "okay." What every one is telling you is that you have NO CASE. You ignored the question about registering with the disability office, so how severe can it be? Without doing that, any and all accomodations are voluntary. And, how can you prove your allegations?

Perhaps the prof thought you were lying or making up stories. Maybe he really thought you were on illegal drugs. Just b/c you say something, doesn't make it true.

You won't be happy until someone says you have a case. Nothing illegal happened. GET OVER IT.