McGregor v. Louisiana State University Board of Supervisors

Robert McGregor (plaintiff) was admitted as a law student at Louisiana State University (university) (defendant). McGregor suffered from permanent head and spinal injuries as a result of several accidents and requested the university to provide him the accommodations of part-time attendance and take-home exams. The university denied these proposed accommodations and dismissed McGregor after his first year due to poor academic performance. McGregor was conditionally readmitted as a first-year student, and the university provided other accommodations, including tutoring, personalized class schedules, accessible desks and classroom choices, extra exam time, occasional take-home exams, and individualized academic assistance from faculty members. Despite these accommodations, McGregor demonstrated poor academic performance and was told he would need to restart the program as a first-year student because he did not meet the grade requirement for advancement. McGregor filed suit in federal district court, alleging that by failing to provide his requested accommodations and failing to advance him in the program, the university discriminated against him in violation of the Rehabilitation Act. The university contended that satisfying McGregor’s demands would fundamentally alter its program and lower its academic standards. The district court granted summary judgment for the university, and McGregor appealed to the Fifth Circuit.