Florida student sues college for slander

TAMPA, Fla., Nov. 1 (UPI) -- University of Tampa student Andrea Knight is suing her teacher and school for slander, saying a "kangaroo court" decided she was guilty of plagiarism.

Knight says she wasn't allowed to defend herself.

Officials claim Knight didn't use proper citations for sources she used in a paper for a criminology course. The Tampa Tribune reports the university panel said although she may not have plagiarized on purpose, "the student's lack of proper citations ultimately results in plagiarism."

Attorney John Campbell, representing UT, told the newspaper if it defames a student for a teacher to say an answer isn't right or is false, that's "the day we close the door to every university in the U.S."

Knight says the professor has a grudge and that she used proper citation methods. She is seeking more than $15,000 in damages, she wants the charge and failing grade expunged.

The Internet site turnitin.com checked the paper and found no plagiarism, the newspaper said.