Posted on 03/10/2013 2:43:48 PM PDT by Wanderer99
EASTON, Pa. — Talk about grade inflation.
Graduate student Megan Thode wasn't happy about the C-plus she received for one class, saying the mediocre grade kept her from getting her desired degree and becoming a licensed therapist — and, as a result, cost her $1.3 million in lost earnings.
Now Thode is suing her professor and Lehigh University in Bethlehem, claiming monetary damages and seeking a grade change.
A judge is hearing testimony in the case this week in Northampton County Court. Lehigh and the professor contend her lawsuit is without merit. Northampton County Judge Emil Giordano declined to dismiss the suit Wednesday, ruling that there was enough evidence for the suit to proceed, according to The (Easton) Express-Times ( http://bit.ly/Ye2Aj1).
Thode took the class in the fall of 2009. Her instructor, Amanda Eckhardt, testified this week that she stood by the grade, saying Thode failed to behave professionally and thus earned zero out of 25 points in class participation, bumping her down a full letter grade.
"I ... believed she received the grade she earned," Eckhardt said.
The C-plus prevented Thode, an otherwise A student, from going on to the next class and advancing in her professional therapist studies, the newspaper reported. She wound up getting a master's degree in human development instead.
Her attorney, Richard Orloski, argued that Eckhardt targeted Thode because she is an outspoken advocate for gay marriage.
Eckhardt testified that while she believes marriage is between a man and a woman, she would never allow her personal views to influence her treatment of students. She said Thode had outbursts in class, did not participate appropriately, was emotionally unstable and failed to heed a warning letter.
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.
Giordano is presiding over the nonjury trial and is expected to rule on Thode's lawsuit after testimony concludes.
Oh boy where do we even start with this? ;P
A student in a class who received a letter saying cease or desist and continues to act out deserves what she has coming to her. It’s one thing to move up the administration to try to get recourse, but to attempt to routinely disrupt classwork to the detriment of other students simply shows a lack of decorum.
I don’t see how getting a C- in a course prevents her from becoming a licensed therapist, either. Simply retake the course... I don’t think any reasonable person could assume a C- would completely tank a career path, especially something as generally non-competitive as being a licensed therapist. One would also have to question whether Ms. Thode had the mental stability to become a licensed therapist given her obvious inability to civally engage with those who had views differing from her own. That whole countertransference issue might just well do her in...
Is her economic loss really 1.3-million? Well, I guess that would depend on how much the expected career benefits of being a licensed therapist might be minus the unemployement benefits she will receive with that degree in “human development.” ;)
Heh. Couldn’t help but snicker at that last part.
All the the little city of Bethlehem... *sigh*
If her professer is a left wing, America hating bonehead like she’s likely to be than he should be proud of her and applaud her efforts! Frivolous law suits are one of the crowning glories of success for liberals.
The mean teacher gave you a C- ? Well, take your pills and grab BooBoo Bear and your snuggle blanket and Mommy will make you a cup of hot cocoa.
Most of these so called “advocates” have very low self-esteem, but this results in them being obsessed with themselves and compensating with a great deal of vanity. Thus, outbursts, unprofessional behavior, feelings of entitlement
Damn Millennials.
Brought up as if their waste doesn’t stink, that every utterance is pure genius, and that no one is allowed to be critical of them(The whole “No H8te” thing).
And on top of that, she already pegged 1.3 million dollars in earnings! Because, you know, she is a superstar!
because who WOULDN’T want to spend $1.3 million on a therapist who could blow up in your face at any moment?! xD
The only Professor who I could rightfully blame for not getting an A would be this damn Russian, who expected everyone in a Chem 2 class to already know calculus. His examples were all written in strange mathematical equations which I showed to someone about to get their degree in Chemistry, and his response was “What IS this alien language!?” His examples and explanations only made me more confused.
I ended up teaching myself Chemistry that semester, and the A I did receive was the most difficult one I ever got. I went to tutors every week, spent hour upon hour studying every week. More than half the class failed. Everyone called him Hitler, or Stalin, since we weren’t quite sure what his nationality was.
On the bright side at least he isn’t treating you like a retard. ;P
I wish I could sue [and expect any return] for every time I screwed up resulting in a costly consequence.
It would almost be like living without consequences for my behavior.
Somehow he managed to inspire you, you did your best, overcame a great obstacle and prospered. Too few students today ever come close to that type of accomplishment or experience real gratification.
Not all is in vain—she still has her likker license.
If she would sue over a SINGLE GRADE, she is OBVIOUSLY too unstable to be sharing secrets with your kids - so this is for the best.
(in case you didn’t know, a good percentage of young ‘therapists’ get to ‘learn the trade’ in the public schools...not that it matters to people that prefer the boat or the land yacht)
Grade retaliation does happen.
Junior year of high school I took Ancient and Medieval World History. Teacher frankly didn’t know much about the subject, but he was a “modern” teacher (this was early 70s) so every class was a discussion, not a lecture.
1st quarter, A+, not particularly surprising since I knew a great deal more history than he did and scored 100 on every test.
Second quarter he got into world religions. Long discussions about the wonders and glories of Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, etc. Then we got to Christianity.
And suddenly the entire discussion became about how the Bible contradicts itself and is immoral and violent, etc. None of these criticisms at all had been applied to the other religions.
So, basically I and to a lesser extent a girl in class, proceeded to politely disassemble every one of his arguments for a week. Not hard, since he really knew nothing about the Bible or Christianity.
Next Monday class format shifted to lecture. 2nd quarter grade, with 100s still on every test, C-.
I have ever since regretted that I didn’t challenge the grade, perhaps by challenging him to a public history knowledge competition.
I had a similar experience in undergrad school. I had 2 years of chemistry in high school andcould balance equations in my sleep. In a college chemistry course I got the correct answers on the first 2 tests, but they were scored incorrect because I did not use the method professor required. By the time I caught on and aced the remaining tests, it cost me a B rather than an A, resulting in a 3.499999 GPA at graduation and costing me a magnum cum laude, even though the requirements were a 3.5 GPA (2 significant digits) and the refusal of the college to use standard rounding rules. I graduated in 3 years with a double major in chemistry and biology, and was no dummy. I protested to no avail at the time but this cost my undergraduate school millions in alumni donations that I chose to give to my medical school instead.
“I ended up teaching myself Chemistry that semester, and the A I did receive was the most difficult one I ever got. I went to tutors every week, spent hour upon hour studying every week.”
Bingo!
And, if she’d done the same thing (and maybe even gotten a little counseling of her own), she could well be on her way to that $1.3 mill career she’s dreaming about.
Everyone in the class had passed Calc 2 but for some reason all become dummies in her presence.
I have a similar story. The worst German professor I ever had was a new one. She was horrible. She yelled at people, pointed and yelled at people and when anyone protested (in English), she would scream "AUF DEUTSCHE, AUF DEUTSCHE".
No one could explain the problem "AUF DEUTSCHE" so she continued to scream. One gentle man cried.
I told the dean I wanted out. Problem was class could not go under 10 students and if I left, there would only be nine students left and the class would be cancelled.
I really didn't care. So, the dean ended up teaching me herself and still counting me to be the 10th student.
Wonder where that instructor is now. Probably still shouting "AUF DEUTSCHE" and serving in Obama administration.
That stinks.
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