University of Minnesota medical student sues school for suspension over sexual misconduct allegations

A University of Minnesota medical student says the college wrongfully suspended him based on allegations of sexual misconduct last year.

In a lawsuit filed this week, Mehdijaffer Mulla says administrators from the medical school informed him in November that they'd received a complaint about him. The school immediately suspended him, without telling him the nature of the allegations or the individuals accusing him, then e-mailed the student body soliciting other allegations, which served to "pre-emptively convict Mr. Mulla in the court of public opinion," according to the lawsuit.

"Mr. Mulla was improperly suspended from the University of Minnesota and has been deprived of higher education and his contractual rights without due process or equal protection of the law," according to the civil complaint. "Mr. Mulla was greatly damaged by being falsely cast as a stalker, a very public stigma he will never be able to escape."

Mulla is still under suspension and his request to address the allegations in a hearing at the college has been denied, the lawsuit states.

University spokesman Jake Ricker said the school has not yet been served with the lawsuit. "As always, the university will review the details of the complaint and address the facts and governing law as appropriate," he said.