Former Graduate Student Sues the University of Missouri for Allegedly Miscatalogued Thesis
On January 29, 2025, Mizzou Graduate Rosalind Harris (“Harris” or “Plaintiff) filed a pro se Complaint against the University of Missouri, its Board of Curators, President Mun Choi, and Chancellor Kristin Sabolik (Collectively “University” or “Defendants”) for allegedly miscataloguing her graduate thesis from 2004 and placing it in the University's archives, thereby affecting her career.
In the complaint, Harris claims that her graduate thesis was archived without her knowledge due to pictures contained therein. Harris states that the president's office and the chancellor’s office did not mediate the issue, instead stating the problem was Harris’s to fix. Harris claims that, in taking these actions, the University has not protected students' copyrights and fair use rights. She is seeking $10 million for career loss and another $10 million for rights violations and demoralization.
This is not the first time, however, that Plaintiff has brought this issue to court. In 2022, Plaintiff filed a Complaint against the University which alleged, among other claims, copyright infringement. However, after Harris amended the 2022 Complaint twice, the court granted the Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss on account of the University being entitled to Eleventh Amendment sovereign immunity as an arm of the state of Missouri.
The University has yet to answer the 2025 Complaint. Further updates will be provided as the case continues.