[Iowa] Undergrad advisor filed false student eval letter. Could file (and win) a Libel/ Negligence lawsuit for damages? (Costs/Emotional distress/etc.)

This University repeatedly has screwed not only this student but many others over in a lot of ways due to blatant negligence and indifference by leadership to the effects on students resulting from bad people abusing their power knowing there will be no consequences ever, as long as they stay valuable publishing papers and bringing in grant money.

Considering that the student is now currently in a financial position that they will not be able to return/finish their degree in the foreseeable future regardless of permission due to financial Logistics being impossible for a host of reasons now, a windfall that would not only allow the student to be made whole for everything various individuals through negligence, indifference, incompetence or malice have cost the student throughout his undergraduate experience including now another wasted year in Industry pursuing an actual career with a reasonable salary and being that much farther down the corporate ladder, all while just desperately trying to get by finding any way to pay living expenses not to mention make student loan payments, all while said student debt continues accumulating interest at absurdly high rates unable to be paid down while dealing with all of this BS that didn't need to exist. As well, removal of the dismissal notation from his academic record that if not for the indifference of various faculty members compounding unfortunate extenuating circumstances would not have existed. As well, an apology letter from the University for taking the recommendation of someone who they not only verifiably themselves knew was a liar but also is so fundamentally inept at his job that they're most recent data point was a statement literally saying "advisor made error", and none of this gave them the slightest bit of concern handing down a ruling entirely baseless against someone who had done nothing to earn it other than have the indecency to get severely injured during finals.

So, I guess you could sum it up by saying it all comes down to various forms of the same thing. For once in the entire history of this Nightmare Factory, a little bit of accountability and acceptance, along with an equitable outcome.

If sufficient Financial Resources were to result hypothetically, transferring to another University even if it involved paying more to finish out his degree, would also be a dream. This place has become like an abusive relationship, there will always be an emotional attachment but it's become highly apparent the relationship is toxic and unfixable. You can't change people who don't want to change. They have no qualms explicitly going against every pretty little brochure about how they love equity diversity inclusion kindness caring empathy fairness Justice and equality for the entire student body as their number one priority, anytime they feel like it or it's to their benefit or it serves as a little bit of Vengeance against someone who brought the bad Deeds of their friends into the spotlight. That's just a sick unfixable culture that it's best to get very far away from.

/r/legaladvice Thread Parent