SCRANTON -- A student is suing a university after being expelled days before graduation and having his undergraduate diploma withheld from him.
Shuli Li filed a complaint on May 12 in the U.S. District Court of the Middle District of Pennsylvania again the University of Scranton for breach of contract and violation of Title 1X of the Education Amendments of 1972.
According to the complaint, Li was suspended pending an investigation on May 13, 2019, for conduct off-campus with a female not affiliated with the university on May 11, 2019. Li, 22 years old at the time of the incident, was attending the University of Scranton on a F-1 international student Visa and days from graduating with an undergraduates degree in Business Marketing.
Li pleaded guilty to having sex with a 14-year-old girl.
Li, currently incarcerated at SCI-Brenner Township, alleged he was in good standing with the university, had completed all requirements for earning his diploma and had fully paid more than $150,000 intuition. Li was to receive his diploma on May 25, 2019, but did not as he was expelled from the university just days prior to graduation.
The female in the incident that was under investigation at the time of Li's expulsion never filed a complaint with the university and had no affiliation with the university, though a criminal complaint was filed on Li.
Li allegedly received a letter on May 15, 2019 from the University's Title IX Coordinator and Executive Director of the Office of Equity and Diversity Elizabeth Garcia stating he was under investigation "under a university sexual harassment and sexual misconduct investigation." The university's policies do state that anyone who violates the sexual harassment or misconduct policy is subject to disciplinary actions.
Li seeks permanent injunctive relief, removing all record of the existence of the proceedings from the educational record, his degree, monetary damages including attorney's fees and costs of suits. Li is represented by Andrew J. Shubin, Esquire.
U.S. District Court of the Middle District of Pennsylvania case number 3:21-cv-00868-KM