As Marie and I predicted months ago, the retracted story in the SCSU student newspaper concerning Dean Richard Lewis is the subject of a lawsuit. This suit is for $50,000, which may end up being small change compared to the age discrimination suit still before the EEOC.

The student newspaper, ... last October quoted a former student as saying that Lewis mistreated her after she organized a demonstration in favor of a history professor who was threatened with termination.

Among other comments, former student Robbi Hoy said Lewis told her that her grade in his independent study course would be changed from "A" to "incomplete," that she would have to take the class over with him and that he would not allow her to pass or graduate.

The statements were false and reckless, and the Chronicle published an inadequate retraction, Lewis said in the libel suit filed last week in Ramsey County District Court. The suit seeks damages of more than $50,000. Hoy, the Chronicle and its staff members were not named as defendants.

The offending article is still online; you have to go to the last comment on the article, where I note the retraction, to even realize the article is false and reckless. Why not just hang a big "sue me" sign on your door?

My question: Will this make the age discrimination case easier for Lewis to pursue?