James Franco's NYU Professor Fired for Giving Actor a Bad Grade?
Credit: Gary Miller/FilmMagic
Teacher's pet? Not so much.
NYU professor Jose Angel Santana claims he was wrongfully terminated for giving James Franco a low grade in his class. According to a lawsuit obtained by TMZ, Santana gave the actor a D for missing 12 of the 14 classes in the MFA course, "Directing the Actor."
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According to the site, Santana was publicly humiliated by Franco, 33, and the University itself, when people found out he gave the Oscar-nominee a near failing grade.
Santana said he was the only professor to give Franco a bad grade. "In my opinion, they've turned the NYU graduate film degree into swag for James Franco's purposes, a possession, something you can buy," the professor said, as excerpted by TMZ.
"I did the work," Franco told Showbiz411.com last year. "I did well in everything else."
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Although not a straight-A student, the 127 Hours star graduated from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts on Tuesday with an MFA in filmmaking this May. He also has a degree in creative writing from Columbia and is currently working towards an English doctorate from Yale University. Franco has studied poetry at Warren Wilson College in North Carolina and most recently was accepted into the University of Houston's doctoral program in literature and creative writing. He'll begin his studies in Houston in fall 2012.
Tell Us What You Think
10that is not right, he deserved a bad grade!! if i missed that much days of college i would have barely passed. because he's a big movie star that gives him the right to do whatever he wants... im so disgusted with this actor now He might be a good actor, but he is full of crap, he should admit to his selfishness
I think it is unfair for the professor to be fired for giving out a bad grade. If attendence is required for the classes then JF needed to attend or make other arrangments if he knew he would be gone. JF isn't anyone special and I think the school is setting a bad example to its teachers and students.
If he didn't want to go to class, or have time to go to class... he should have done a correspondence program! As far as I'm concerned, James Franco is a cocky prick. He also always looks like a slimeball.
Well, gee, if attendance counts as a grade, GO TO CLASS!!! Doing your homework is NOT enough, and the fact that he missed over half the classes is like telling the professor "Hey, I know I'm in your class, but you're not worth my time for me to be there in person." Most of the professors at my college had a "3 unexcused absences and you fail the class" policy, and they stuck to it because half of the work is coming in and participating in class discussions/activities. So no, Mr. Franco, you did NOT do the work and you deserved the grade he gave you.
i do not believe that
If you can do the work without attending class then you can do it without paying tuition. Apparently, you are paying tuition for the diploma only. No wonder this country is going to hell in a handbasket. The business schools apparently do not require their MBA candidates to attend ethics classes or any other classes for that matter. If you want to graduate, simply pay your tuition and sign an affidavit attesting to the fact that you did all the work! Then go to work on Wall Street and fleece the populace with congressional sanctioned impunity (for a fee, of course).
I don't know what actually happened, but I do know you don't have to necessarily attend a class to do the work, pass the tests and get a good grade. I did it in college - it's not unusual.
This story makes me sick he should get a D for not showing up that is my biggest gripe as an instructor school is about being there too!
I used to love Franco, after his fit for not winning that award and this I just want to smack him on the head, what a pathetic excuse for a man.
I m not surprised by this story.