University of Oregon hires DC lawyer for case

EUGENE — The University of Oregon has hired a high-profile Washington, D.C., lawyer to seek a Supreme Court review of a case in which a former graduate student complained the school retaliated against her for complaining about discrimination.

The Eugene Register-Guard reports he's Neal Katyal, a former acting solicitor general who has appeared before the court numerous times.

The Oregon case involves Monica Emeldi, a former doctoral student in education who complained that her dissertation adviser didn't give her the help a male counterpart got.

The adviser quit, and other faculty members wouldn't step in. She dropped out and sued under federal law requiring equal opportunity for the sexes.

A federal appeals court found enough evidence for a trial, but the university is asking the Supreme Court to overrule that decision.

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Information from: The Register-Guard, http://www.registerguard.com