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Constitutional Law

Banned from campus for submitting 'Hot for Teacher' essay, college student sues for $2.2 million

Booted out of Oakland University after writing an essay titled “Hot for Teacher” to fulfill a creative writing class assignment, a former student has filed a federal lawsuit against the public university, its trustees and other officials.

Joseph Corlett, 57, says in the suit that the public university violated his free speech and free expression rights by punishing him for writing the 2011 essay, reports the Detroit Free Press.

His suit, which was filed Friday in federal court in Detroit, also contends the university didn’t follow its own guidelines when it banned him from campus for over a year. It seeks $2.2 million in damages.

“In the end, he just ended up getting suspended from school for completing a homework assignment,” said attorney Alari Adams, who represents Corlett.

A spokesman told the newspaper that Oakland University doesn’t comment on pending litigation.

Additional coverage:

ABAJournal.com: “Banned from Campus Over ‘Hot for Teacher’ Essay, College Student Hires Lawyer to Fight for Return”