Professor wins appeal over husband's activism

MOUNT PLEASANT (AP) - A court has revived a lawsuit by a former Central Michigan University professor who says the school retaliated against her because of her husband's activism. CMU tried to recover back pay from Kathleen Benison when she didn't return for one year after a sabbatical in 2012. The school also refused to release her husband's transcript over unpaid tuition. Christopher Benison was a student and had sponsored a no-confidence resolution against the CMU president. A judge dismissed the couple's lawsuit against CMU. But a federal appeals court last week reversed that decision, 2-1. The court says the Benisons have provided "sufficient evidence" for a jury to determine if they were targeted because Christopher Benison spoke out. Kathleen Benison now is a geology professor at West Virginia University. Published: Thu, Sep 11, 2014