NYU Professor Fired For Giving James Franco a ‘D’ Grade

Could giving an Oscar-nominee an almost failing grade really cause you to lose your job? That’s what many are wondering due to a claim by a disgruntled former NYU professor. José Angel Santana is suing NYU and claims that he was fired for giving James Franco a “D” in his Directing the Actor II class for poor attendance, reports E! Online.

According to the lawsuit filed by Jose on Friday at the Manhattan Supreme Court, the 127 Hours actor showed up to only two of the course’s 14 classes, with a whopping 12 unexcused absences.

“Santana, as a full-time professor in the department, had every right to give such a grade to a student who failed to adequately attend and participate in his class,” the suit states.

“The school has bent over backwards to create a Franco-friendly environment, that’s for sure,” Jose told The Post. “The university has done everything in its power to curry favor with James Franco.”

Apparently, while James had the same attendance record in other courses, the still-employed professors of those courses gave him significantly higher grades.

“I did the work,” James told Showbiz411.com last year. “I did well in everything else.”

A rep for NYU calls the claim “ridiculous,” but knowing that James skipped 12 classes, is it really?

James has not commented on the lawsuit.

Do you think Jose was really fired for giving James Franco a D, or do you think there is more to his firing?