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Professor Claims He Was Fired for Giving James Franco a Bad Grade

9:51 am, December 19th, 2011

(GettyImages.com)

A former professor claims New York University fired him for giving James Franco a bad grade.

Jose Angel Santana is suing the school for dismissing him after he handed the actor a “D” for missing 12 of his 14 “Directing the Actor II” classes as part of Franco’s course of study for a master’s in fine arts degree.

According to Santana, Franco blew off other classes, too, but was accommodated by other professors and given good grades because of his celebrity status.

Santana alleges that NYU’s graduate film department created numerous conflicts of interest with Franco, citing the star’s hiring of another professor, Jay Anania, to write and direct a movie starring Franco, and department chairman John Tintori making a cameo in a film Franco helped finance.

“The school has bent over backwards to create a Franco-friendly environment,” Santana tells the New York Post. “The university has done everything in its power to curry favor with James Franco.”

A rep for NYU calls the claims “ridiculous,” adding, “It is regrettable and disappointing to see a faculty member—former or otherwise—discuss any student’s grade for the purpose of personal publicity.”

Gossip Cop has reached out to Franco’s rep for comment.

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  • Ch

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  • Lisa

    If he missed 12 out of 14 classes, he deserved an “F”. That “D” was too generous. I don’t know if he was “blowing off” classes but no matter what the reason/excuse, you have to be present in class to earn the grade (unless it’s an online class or a hybrid class)…otherwise, get your butt in the seat Mr. Franco.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_JTBMQYMFVZMKNCXIMISICQ3Z6E Anonymous

    Franco was interviewed about this D a while back. He acknowledges that it was from absences and doesn’t appear to have any animosity toward the professor. It would be EXTREMELY difficult to fire a professor over a single incident, and almost impossible to fire a tenured professor. This story is BS and the prof is just using the Franco thing to cover for his own inadequacies.

  • http://twitter.com/patycakes19 patricia

    my school. :)

  • Wendywatkins

    Im sick of celebrities getting breaks in school, courtrooms and killing people and children. Not that Casey Anthony is a celebrity but people become starstruck and do not use their proper judgment. If he got a D so be it. The school is wrong.

  • Jon

    He probably missed those classes on acting because he was busy… ACTING!

    Besides, making attendence part of any grade is just stupid. Who cares how often someone shows up to class if they can do well on the tests/papers?

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001062667724 Blaze Gunn

    Lol The Professor probably got fired for a different reason & is blaming it on giving franco a bad grade so he can sue the school… Thats like me getting fired from my job & saying i got fired because our new manager was Racist and then suing them… you got fired find a new job & even if james franco did get the star treatment who cares you complaining isn’t going to change anything you saying anything at all is probably hurting you to find a new job i wouldn’t hire you if i’d know after i fire you you’d start saying things and trying to sue me.

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