Fed Court Lets Privacy Claims Against Penn State Prof Proceed

Federal court allows privacy and emotional distress claims against Penn State professor.

A federal court in Pennsylvania has allowed a former graduate student to pursue privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress claims against a Penn State professor who disclosed the student's childhood sexual abuse in a published book without his consent. The legal action centers on the alleged unauthorized disclosure of sensitive personal information.

The student had shared his experiences during confidential seminars held between 2019 and 2022. Each participant in these seminars signed intake forms affirming that information disclosed would remain confidential and not be shared outside the classroom without permission. Despite these protections, the professor later published a book naming the student and revealing his abuse history.

The court's memorandum highlighted that "Plaintiff’s disclosures to seminar participants were not substantially certain to make his experiences public knowledge," indicating the professor's publication constituted a breach of confidentiality. However, the court dismissed similar claims against Penn State University, noting that the university neither published the book nor disclosed the student's abuse through its promotion.

This case underscores ongoing tensions in academic settings between freedom of scholarly expression and safeguarding students' privacy rights. It emphasizes the necessity of obtaining informed consent before publishing personal information, especially that which is deeply sensitive. The outcome will likely influence how educational institutions and professors handle confidential student disclosures moving forward.

For additional details, see the Courthouse News report and the federal court memorandum.