Duke Professor Sued For Retaliation Against Duke Player
LAX Player Files Lawsuit Against Duke University
Kyle Dowd filed the lawsuit Thursday against against Duke University and visiting associate professor Kim Curtis. Dowd, who graduated with David Evans in May 2006, was not indicted in the rape case but says that Professor Curtis gave him and another lacrosse player in class a failing grade in class as a form of retaliation after the Duke Lacrosse scandal broke. The two players were apparently receiving passing grades until the scandal, and Duke University revised their grades upward months after graduation. (sic)The Lawsuit (Note: I had to right click and save to computer to open in adobe)
Kim F. Curtis, a visiting law professor, was one of the Duke 88. In her Politics and Literature class in the spring of 2006, she gave exactly two failing grades... both to Duke Lacrosse players. Neither one of them is one of the three accused players.
Go read the case, but to sum it up. She failed the two lacrosse students, even though both were earning passing grades up until the case broke. She gave two different reasons for them failing to the students and to the faculty. Duke revised their grades up to a "D" during the summer, but only after Kyle Dowd had to beg to graduate.
I don't mind liberal or right wing professors. I enjoy a good debate. When students get to University they should be mature enough to deal with a bit of politics inserted into the lectures. However, political bias should end at the grade book. If these allegations are true, her actions were disgusting.
Hat tip: KC Johnson
