2008 Woodie Awards
Veteran, former student files $3 million discrimination lawsuit against SUU
Josh Smith
Issue date: 8/25/08 Section: News
SUU could face more than $3 million in damages from a lawsuit brought by a former student who claims the university discriminated against him because of his Vietnam War-related disability.
David Brown, a veteran who attended SUU as a communication major from 2005 to 2006, is seeking $761,000 in actual damages and $2,283,000 in punitive damages in his suit filed in U.S. District Court, Utah Central District, in Salt Lake City on July 17.
Based on court records, there are no hearings or deadlines scheduled and the university has yet to submit its official answer to the charges.
Assistant Utah Attorney General Tim Evans, who is handling the case on behalf of SUU, said the matter is still in the "very early" stages and would not comment on the case.
Vice President for University Relations Dean O'Driscoll said he is unaware of any precedent for the current lawsuit against SUU.
Brown's suit claims that part way through the Spring 2006 semester, he experienced a relapse of his Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, which prevented him from completing his classes.
According to the lawsuit, university officials assigned "unauthorized withdrawals" for all of Brown's classes for the semester.
Despite being unfinished, these credit hours counted toward Brown's total attempted credit hours, which consequently caused him to exceed SUU's financial aid limit of 183 credits, the lawsuit states.
In the suit, Brown, who is listed as representing himself in the case but could not be reached for comment, goes on to charge that he was denied further aid and was subsequently ignored by university officials when he tried to complain.
In July 2007, Brown officially complained to the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights in Denver, according to case-related documents.
The office proceeded to complete "an onsite investigation that included interviews with university staff and administrators" and Brown himself, as described in the office's final report.
David Brown, a veteran who attended SUU as a communication major from 2005 to 2006, is seeking $761,000 in actual damages and $2,283,000 in punitive damages in his suit filed in U.S. District Court, Utah Central District, in Salt Lake City on July 17.
Based on court records, there are no hearings or deadlines scheduled and the university has yet to submit its official answer to the charges.
Assistant Utah Attorney General Tim Evans, who is handling the case on behalf of SUU, said the matter is still in the "very early" stages and would not comment on the case.
Vice President for University Relations Dean O'Driscoll said he is unaware of any precedent for the current lawsuit against SUU.
Brown's suit claims that part way through the Spring 2006 semester, he experienced a relapse of his Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, which prevented him from completing his classes.
According to the lawsuit, university officials assigned "unauthorized withdrawals" for all of Brown's classes for the semester.
Despite being unfinished, these credit hours counted toward Brown's total attempted credit hours, which consequently caused him to exceed SUU's financial aid limit of 183 credits, the lawsuit states.
In the suit, Brown, who is listed as representing himself in the case but could not be reached for comment, goes on to charge that he was denied further aid and was subsequently ignored by university officials when he tried to complain.
In July 2007, Brown officially complained to the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights in Denver, according to case-related documents.
The office proceeded to complete "an onsite investigation that included interviews with university staff and administrators" and Brown himself, as described in the office's final report.
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