Former student alleges honor discrimination
By Edward Hock | January 25, 2000Former student Ayola Greene filed a lawsuit Jan. 1 seeking $10.5 million against the University and the Honor Committee for racial discrimination and violating her constitutional due process rights. Greene, who had her degree rescinded in May 1995 for failure to pay bad checks, filed her case in Federal District Court seeking $8 million in punitive damages, $2.5 million in compensatory damages plus attorney's fees and lost wages. Three cases involving the honor system now are pending against the University. Greene's brief alleges racial discrimination in the case because Greene was described as black on the Honor Committee's "case status form." "African-Americans are more likely to be brought up on Honor Committee violations and found guilty of such then are any other group at the University," the brief states. The suit also alleges the Committee violated Greene's constitutional rights by not notifying her of the trial date and therefore taking her degree and depriving her of property "without due process pursuant to the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments." Greene received her Bachelor's degree in Architecture from the University in the spring of 1992.
