A judge has ruled against a local woman suing Lehigh University for $1.3 million because, she claims, a poor grade in one class diminished her lifetime earning potential.
The "plaintiff failed to establish that the university based the awarded grade of C+ on anything other than purely academic reasons," the judge said in his ruling Thursday, according to a WFMZ report.
A trial on the civil lawsuit brought by 27-year-old Megan Thode of Nazareth began on Monday in front of Northampton County Judge Emil Giordano, who on Wednesday chastised both sides for being unable to reach an out-of-court settlement, according to The Morning Call.
Thode claimed sexual discrimination in the case. Lehigh University countered that Thode behaved unprofessionally—including swearing in class—and hadn’t earned the right to move on in the program. Thode took the stand Thursday and denied yelling a swear word at her teacher, the Morning Call reported.
The $1.3 million is the difference between what Thode would have earned with the degree she was seeking as opposed to her current lifetime earning potential, according to her attorney, Richard J. Orloski.
Thode, 27, was attending graduate classes in Lehigh’s School of Education tuition free because her father, Stephen Thode, is a Lehigh finance professor.
The C+ grade given during the fall 2009 semester forced Thode out of the graduate counseling program, ending her dream of becoming a licensed professional counselor. She instead got a master’s degree in human development and works as a drug and alcohol counselor, according to The Morning Call.
Orloski charged that Thode was held back because she complained about having to get a supplemental internship in the middle of the semester and also because she is an outspoken supporter of gay and lesbian marriage rights.
Thode’s student teacher for the class, Amanda Eckhardt, dismissed that claim in testimony, according to The Express Times. While she believes that marriage should be between a man and a woman, she has a sister who is a lesbian and would be the matron of honor at her wedding if she were asked, the newspaper reported.
However, Eckhardt also testified that she gave Thode an unprecedented zero points out of a possible 25 for class participation, which knocked down her final grade by a full letter, The Express Times reported.
But what surprised me a little here was how quickly everyone seemed to jump onto the University's side, and criticized the student. I think that probably (without knowing all the facts, charges, and various 'proofs').... the judge's verdict was correct, but I simply believe that an appeal of this sort is, in principle, vindicable. J. G. Lewis '90
Everyone was quick to jump to Lehigh's side because her request was an over-reaction. She didn't make the grade. Period. It happens all the time, all across this country. The fact is, she was good enough to get an advanced degree in something else and find work. At some point you must learn to grow up, ask yourself if you have any control over your life and get on with it. School is a good place to begin. She learned an expensive and embarrassing lesson. NOW, maybe, if she applies herself, she can be successful. Maybe. By her actions, my guess is she would have made an awful Social Worker. That position requires patience, thoughtfulness and an ability to understand problems of others. It's not all about "me".
I know some institution have clamped down ....may be time for Lehigh to revisit same.
Perhaps she should not have sued for the lifetime earnings of her preferred job, but instead, sued for that amount MINUS what she will make now. That might have softened her impression, a bit. If she couldn't figure THAT out, she shouldn't have a degree at all!
How you deal with a "difficult" person (the instructor, perhaps?) how you respond to challenge (the class?) and how you react to disappointment (that C+) is all part of learning and growing up. She never had it in her to do Social Work. Good call by Lehigh.
- J. G. Lewis '90
What surprises me is that she let it go that far. Keeping a grade average to get a degree is the norm. Students near and far go through the anxiety of doing so. How did it get so close to the wire for her? At what point did she realize she was "plus" away from failure? It suggests that she was already in "scholastic trouble" with the degree, let alone that one class. If you are at that point of make-or-break, it's time to use honey and not vinegar. That's a lesson to learn. She, apparently, was blaming her grade on everything from her support of L/G marriage to the supplemental instruction. It rings false. It is adversary in tone, and it did her no favors. Next time, she may use all this a LEARNING experience that did cost her money, and behave in a different fashion.
Yes... you raise a good point with your honey/vinegar metaphor. - John
Live and learn. Live and learn! (By the way, I meant SUBjective, LOL!)
Instead of commenting on the justness of Lehigh's general policy, and the judgement in Ms. Thode case, and of her life... I would rather like to note the unmerited, unrighteous judgements of our own society, as you raise, in your first post. (As with a 15 year veteran being dismissed...) A presumed impropriety somewhere (n this instance, Lehigh) does not justify it somewhere else (in the work place).... Anyway... people *are not worth money*, ok? It is rather more proper to say that an individual's work is of higher quality, conceivably more value, than someone else's... Too much materialism in America today. I actually like the fact that Lehigh has (and in the past Universities generally have had) an ethical component to their grading.. which they can bring to the fore when needed/when called for. - John G. Lewis
Clearly if somebody hands out unearned higher grades that could impact the persons ability to get ahead of others in a competitive line or stay in a line or in general diminish the quality/perceived value of that diploma or whatever it is. If XYU hands out diplomas to warm mushrooms then I am going to put applicants with degrees from XYU into a shredder file or at least be forced to examine other measures of possible qualification? At a time when a HS diploma does not assure you the holder can read a tape measure or tell time or write two coherent sentences are you willing to assume that a 4 year degree from Mudflat U does either? And as to second point--yes I am aware of a school in CT that got sued because student did not learn enough (to proceed to a career in football!) despite getting a diploma. Handing out diplomas to make the institution look good is not a lost art.
Unfortunate, all the law suites in today's world. But there is mistreatment too, very much so, let us keep that in mind. I am not saying Thode was justified, or the University was not... But immorality in the work place certainly will not justify any thought, or real, immorality in Colleges and Universities. It's been a nice discussion everyone! - J. G. Lewis, LU Class of 1990
I have in my hand an edict written by a licensed professional that she divines to herself the right to change students grades as may be issued by others. She lives near Bethlehem ; I do not know if she is a product of that fine institution LU but such would not be unreasonable possibility The basic tone of her edict is to induce staff to issue higher grades than the student might otherwise get on basis of real world learning performances. With educators like that we are in for some very tough times!
I certainly do not at all agree with pandering to the students, as you suggest, nor with letting the administrators do whatever they deem 'fit and proper', as seems to be increasingly the case for Lehigh. That is another story, another topic. Who will judge the magistrates? - John