Academic Questions is the quarterly journal published by the National Association of Scholars. The most recent issue contains a truly revealing article by Professor Lionel Lewis of SUNY-Buffalo entitled “Litigating Grades: A Cautionary Tale.” (Alas, AQ is not available online, but if anyone cannot obtain a copy, I’ll gladly send a copy of the article.)
Lewis first makes the point that on most American campuses these days, the path to success is well lubricated for those who claim victimhood. He then goes on to discuss in detail a case that arose at his university that is utterly flabbergasting. A student with a weak academic record was admitted to the graduate program in anthropology. Shortly after beginning his courses, he started to complain about discrimination because of his Puerto Rican ancestry. Eventually he wound up filing a suit in federal court based on preposterous allegations against a number of faculty members. The university put up almost no legal defense and the plaintiff was awarded over $600,000 by the jury.
This simply has to be read to be believed.