Thursday, March 27, 2014

Drexel Discrimination Suit May Jeopardize Privacy Rights of Uninvolved Students - Higher Education

Drexel Discrimination Suit May Jeopardize Privacy Rights of Uninvolved Students - Higher Education: What might otherwise be a routine discrimination suit about one aggrieved ex-student’s dismissal for poor academic performance has implicated the privacy rights of more than 100 other students.

The case being played out in a Philadelphia federal courthouse pits Le Ke’s discrimination claims against a university’s legal duty and the rights of other students under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.

Ke, who was born in China, is suing for damages and reinstatement to Drexel University’s College of Medicine. He alleges that discrimination based on his race and Chinese ethnicity led to his dismissal in 2011, an allegation that the university denies.

Ke is representing himself in the case.

“He contends that he can only prove his case by obtaining identifying information about students who he claims were treated differently from him and their medical school files,” U.S. District Judge Joel Slomsky said.