A student from New Jersey is alleging that he was labeled a “racist” and compelled to drop an online course after his professor noticed a “Trump 2020” flag in his background during a Zoom session.
Justin Caiazzo, 29, has filed a lawsuit against Passaic County Community College, business professor Gladys Harris, and dean Peter Hynes, claiming that his First Amendment rights were infringed upon during a class in July 2021.
Residing in Lake Hiawatha, Caiazzo was caught off guard when Harris reportedly interrupted her business statistics class upon seeing the Trump flag behind him, as noted in a complaint filed on September 23 in New Jersey Superior Court.
Harris allegedly insisted he remove the flag immediately, halting the entire class as she did so, the court documents state.
When Caiazzo, who insists he hadn’t brought up any political discussions, inquired about the issue with the flag, Harris labeled it “offensive.” She then referred to him as a “racist” in front of the rest of the class and ultimately removed him from the Zoom call when he refused to take down the pro-MAGA flag, according to the lawsuit.
This incident seemingly impacted Caiazzo’s experience in class. In subsequent classes, he claims Harris allowed other students to dominate discussions while disregarding his attempts to participate.
After one of those sessions, Caiazzo asked Harris about the possibility of tutoring or addressing the conflict, but he says she dismissively suggested he seek help on “tutor.com,” as stated in the lawsuit.
Concerned about the potential negative impact on his education, Caiazzo reached out to other officials, including Hynes.
Though the college community initiated an investigation, they ultimately supported Harris and stated that Caiazzo’s “political expression was disfavored,” according to court documents.
College officials did not offer any satisfactory solutions, like transferring him to a different class or allowing him to withdraw with a “no credit” grade.
Instead, he felt compelled to simply endure the situation and eventually decided to drop the class, believing the circumstances had become irreversible.
As detailed in court papers, he “withdrew from the class at his own expense rather than continue under conditions regarded as hostile, unfair, unconstitutional and academically untenable.”
Caiazzo is now seeking unspecified damages for educational setbacks, emotional distress, and humiliation.
According to his lawyer, Marc Calello, “[He] was wronged on many levels.”
Because he had to drop the course, Caiazzo was unable to graduate, and his attorney added that this situation highlights how institutions designed to encourage debate are increasingly suppressing certain viewpoints.
Calello emphasized, “There’s a difference between an opinion and a fact… regardless of what side you’re on.”
The college, along with Hynes and Harris, did not respond to requests for comment.
