An Arab Muslim former instructor at DePaul University is again pressing claims the Chicago Catholic university should pay him at least $10 million over allegedly false sexual assault accusations made by a white female student.
On Dec. 8, Laith Saud re-filed his lawsuit in Cook County Circuit Court against DePaul University. As in the case he originally filed in 2020, Saud, a former Islamic studies instructor, asserts his career was ruined because the university allegedly permitted him to be unfairly targeted over the student's claims.
Saud's lawsuit claims DePaul allegedly refused to defend him against allegedly false sexual assault claims, and then allegedly pressured him to settle the litigation brought by the student. Saud further asserts the university improperly cooperated with DePaul student journalists, who published an article about the accusations against Saud.
According to the complaint, Saud had a consensual relationship with the student, but allegedly violated no university policies and committed none of the acts ascribed to him by the student.
According to the complaint, Saud took the student's lawsuit to trial, where a trial judge ruled in favor of Saud, and granted Saud's claim for defamation against the student.
Despite the alleged exoneration, however, Saud says he has not been invited to return to teach at the university and formerly robust professional opportunities outside of the classroom have similarly dried up, allegedly as a result of the accusations against him.
The lawsuit asserts the university allegedly violated contractual duties to Saud, and officials allegedly colluded to hold him in a false light and ruin his reputation.
He is seeking actual, compensatory and punitive damages of at least $10 million, plus attorney fees.
Saud is represented in the action by attorney Christina Abraham, of Chicago.