Login
Home  |  Legal Resources  |  Publications

Cases & Developments

FILTERS

Find by DATE
Reset

Latest Cases & Developments

  • Date:

    Green v. Univ. of Mississippi (N.D. Miss. Dec. 10, 2025)

    Opinion Denying Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment. Plaintiff, a Black intervention specialist at the University of Mississippi’s drug and alcohol treatment center, sued the university alleging race and sex discrimination under Title VII after she was terminated based on allegations of inappropriate conduct with students, her position was subsequently eliminated, and her job responsibilities transferred to a recently hired employee. The court denied the defendant’s summary judgment motion, holding that, although plaintiff’s position was eliminated after her termination, plaintiff had established she was “replaced” because her duties were assumed by someone outside her protected class. The court further held that plaintiff raised a genuine issue of material fact as to whether the university’s stated reason for her termination was pretextual and noted comments from plaintiff’s supervisor that she preferred a White male for plaintiff’s position. The court explained that pretext could also be inferred from the university’s investigation into plaintiff for alleged misconduct because testimony suggested that the university did not actually believe the allegations were proven and plaintiff was not informed of the allegations or given an opportunity to respond prior to her termination.

    Topics:

    Discrimination, Accommodation, & Diversity | Race and National Origin Discrimination | Sex Discrimination

  • Date:

    ACE Issue Brief on Changes to Green Energy Tax Provisions in the OBBB (Dec. 9, 2025)

    The American Council on Education (ACE) published an issue brief titled “Changes to Key Inflation Reduction Act Green Energy Tax Provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” The brief provides a high-level overview on the major changes to the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), including (1) hindrance on the ability of institutions to use many IRA tax credits; (2) repeal of certain commercial and transportation credits; (3) accelerated deadlines for wind and solar projects; and (4) new “Foreign Entity of Concern” restrictions.

    Topics:

    Environmental Health & Safety | Real Property, Facilities & Construction | Tax-Exempt Funding | Taxes & Finances

  • Date:

    Department of Education Announces Agreement with Missouri to End SAVE Plan (Dec. 9, 2025)

    The Department of Education announced a proposed legal settlement with Missouri that would end the “Saving on a Valuable Education” (SAVE) Plan. Under the proposed agreement, the Department would deny any pending applications for the SAVE Plan, prohibit future enrollment of borrowers in the plan, and move all current SAVE borrowers into other repayment plans. The Department has also agreed to hold a negotiated rulemaking session to remove the SAVE Plan from federal regulations, apart from the forbearance and deferment provisions that were included in the final SAVE Plan rule that will continue to count for Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) forgiveness. The Department is still awaiting approval from the court. A copy of the settlement agreement can be found here.

    Topics:

    Financial Aid, Scholarships, & Student Loans | Students

  • Date:

    Department of Education AHEAD Negotiated Rulemaking (Dec. 8, 2025)

    The Department of Education continues its work to develop regulations related to the implementation of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (“OB3”) with meetings for a second negotiated rulemaking committee. The Accountability in Higher Education and Access through Demand-driven Workforce Pell or “AHEAD” Committee, will meet to discuss regulations related to the new “workforce Pell” program as well as a change in the law preventing students from receiving a Pell grant if the students’ other non-Federal aid equals or exceeds their cost of attendance. A discussion paper on this week’s session can be found here and a list of all committee members can be found here. A second session looking at institutional and program accountability metrics in OB3 (also referred to as the “Do No Harm Framework”) has been scheduled for January 5-9, 2026.

    Topics:

    Financial Aid, Scholarships, & Student Loans | Students

  • Date:

    Öztürk v. Trump, et al. (D. Mass. Dec. 8, 2025)

    Opinion Granting Plaintiff’s Motion for a Preliminary Injunction. Plaintiff, a Turkish national and doctoral candidate at Tufts University, challenged the government’s termination of her Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (“SEVIS”) record and sought injunctive relief to reinstate it, arguing the termination violated the Administrative Procedure Act (“APA”) and the First Amendment. The court granted plaintiff’s motion, holding that (1) she was likely to succeed on her APA claim that the record termination was contrary to law and arbitrary and capricious; (2) she had made the requisite showing of irreparable harm; and (3) the balance of the equities and the public interest favored granting the injunction. In concluding the government’s actions were likely arbitrary and capricious, the court noted the government’s “shifting justifications” about the rationale for terminating plaintiff’s SEVIS record as well as conflicting statements about whether she “maintained” nonimmigrant legal status. The court also found plaintiff had made the requisite showing of irreparable harm finding that SEVIS termination had resulted in the loss of unique opportunities for plaintiff to work with her advisor and further her doctoral training and professional development. 

    Topics:

    Employment of Foreign Nationals | Faculty & Staff | International Students

  • Date:

    Department of Education Launches New Earnings Indicator (Dec. 8, 2025)

    The Department of Education announced the launch of a new earnings indicator that will show prospective students average post-graduation earnings when completing the FAFSA application. The Department will be using existing Department data and if an institution’s average earnings are below that of the average high school graduate, FAFSA will generate a “low earnings” disclosure.

    Topics:

    Financial Aid, Scholarships, & Student Loans | Students

  • Date:

    Baggett v. State Univ. of New York. at Niagara, Niagara Cnty. Cmty. Coll. (W.D. N.Y. Dec. 8, 2025)

    Opinion Denying in Part Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss. Plaintiff, a former student at SUNY Niagara County Community College, brought claims of negligence, breach of contract, and unjust enrichment against the college following a data breach that exposed his and other potential class members’ personally identifiable information and caused them harm through increased risk of identity theft and mitigation costs. As a preliminary matter, the court held plaintiff had Article III standing because the unauthorized exposure of his private information, along with the costs of mitigating identity theft, constituted a concrete injury. The court found that plaintiff had sufficiently alleged a breach of contract claim, finding it plausible that there was an implied contract and a reasonable expectation that the college would safeguard plaintiff’s data. The court further allowed plaintiff’s unjust enrichment claim to proceed, finding he plausibly alleged that the college had enriched itself by failing to provide adequate data security. However, the court granted the college’s motion to dismiss plaintiff’s negligence per se claim, reasoning that the Federal Trade Commission Act did not create a private right to action in New York.

    Topics:

    Cybersecurity | Data Privacy | Privacy & Transparency | Technology

  • Date:

    $21 Million Payout Process Begins in Columbia University Antisemitism Settlement with EEOC (Dec. 4, 2025)

    The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced the claims process for current and former Columbia University employees who believe they experienced antisemitic discrimination, harassment, or retaliation between October 7, 2023 and July 23, 2025. The $21 million settlement with the EEOC is part of a larger settlement Columbia reached with the federal government in July which included a $200 million in exchange for the restoration of $400 million in federal grant funding. EEOC has sole discretion for eligibility and amount awarded to claimants from the settlement fund.

    Topics:

    Discrimination, Accommodation, & Diversity | Race and National Origin Discrimination

  • Date:

    Luong v. Vanderbilt Univ. (M.D. Tenn. Dec. 3, 2025)

    Opinion Denying Plaintiff’s Motion for a Preliminary Injunction. Plaintiff, a former Ph.D. student at Vanderbilt University, sued the university alleging disability discrimination, retaliation, and breach of contract after she was dismissed from her program following disputes with her academic advisor. The court denied plaintiff’s request for a preliminary injunction reinstating her into the program, concluding she had failed to demonstrate a likelihood of success on the merits on any of her claims. The court found plaintiff was unlikely to succeed on her failure to accommodate claim because her request for an extension to complete her thesis was vague and unreasonable. The court also found plaintiff unlikely to succeed on her disability discrimination claim, since she was dismissed based on her failure to secure a new advisor, and not because of a qualifying disability. The court also determined plaintiff was unlikely to succeed on her retaliation claim, given the extensive gaps between her request for accommodations and the university’s decision to remove her advisor and dismiss her from the program. Finally, the court determined plaintiff was unlikely to succeed on her breach of contract claims, finding that if a contractual relationship existed between the parties, plaintiff’s prior failure to meet academic expectations constituted a material breach that excused the university from later complying with its probationary and dismissal procedures.

    Topics:

    Academic Performance and Misconduct | Disability Discrimination | Discrimination, Accommodation, & Diversity | Students

  • Date:

    Clary v. Pennsylvania State Univ., et al. (M.D. Pa. Dec. 2, 2025)

    Opinion Granting in Part Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss. Plaintiff, a former student-athlete and member of the men’s basketball team at Pennsylvania State University, brought defamation claims against the university and its head basketball coach based on a series of statements allegedly made by the coach concerning plaintiff’s departure from the team. The court held that plaintiff had sufficiently stated a defamation claim against the coach based on the coach’s statements that (1) plaintiff had refused to return to the university because his father was “after more money”; and (2) plaintiff “decided himself” that he was going to leave the university. In both instances, the court found it “reasonable to infer . . . that [the coach’s] statements caused financial harm to [plaintiff] by harming his reputation and forcing him to attend a less prestigious university.” However, the court dismissed plaintiff’s claims regarding other statements made by the coach, finding the allegations lacked necessary details as to the content, audience, and timing of the statements. The court also dismissed plaintiff’s defamation claims against the university, finding no basis to impose vicarious liability since plaintiff had failed to show the coach’s statements were made within the scope of his employment or with the purpose of serving the university.

    Topics:

    Compliance & Risk Management | Litigation, Mediation & Arbitration | Student Athlete Issues | Students | Tort Litigation

NACUA Annual Conference

Join us in the Music City June 29 – July 2 to connect, learn, and lead alongside higher education attorneys shaping policy, practice, and impact nationwide together.

Register