C+ Student’s Lawsuit Earns an ‘F’

An unsuccessful former graduate student in Pennsylvania, who was apparently indulged by her professor father, has lost a $1.3 million lawsuit against Lehigh University wherein she alleged breach of contract and sexual discrimination.

According to the Chronicle for Higher Education, the student, Megan Thode, had “received the [C+] grade after her professor gave her zero points out of a possible 25 for class participation.”  She reportedly had shown unprofessional behavior that included outbursts and swearing in class.

“Thode, the daughter of Lehigh finance professor Stephen Thode, was attending the university tuition-free in 2009 when she got the C+ in her master’s fieldwork class,” reports the local Morning Call newspaper.  “She needed a B or higher to take the next course, with her attorney, Richard J. Orloski, arguing that his client’s dream of becoming a licensed professional counselor was unfairly scuttled as a result.”

Ultimately, Northampton County Judge Emil Giordano ruled that Thode had failed to meet her burden of proof.  She couldn’t prove that her C+ grade was based on anything other than “purely academic evaluation” and her professor’s conclusion that she “was unprepared to move on to the next level” of her coursework.

Wouldn’t it have been a lot smarter to simply suck up to the professor and administrators and apologetically ask for a chance to retake the class in the first place — as opposed to waging a four-year million-dollar lawsuit?  And where was the sage parental advice when this young lady needed it most?  If this exemplifies typical judgment in the Thode family, perhaps it’s best that this young woman won’t be counseling troubled folks as a licensed practioner in the Keystone State anytime soon.