University of California, Davis: Medical Student Put on Probation for Complaining About Email Monitoring

On July 19, 2010, incoming first-year University of California, Davis, School of Medicine student Curtis Allumbaugh sent an email to his class listserv about a party he was organizing. After a second-year student who had been assigned to monitor the listserv criticized his email's "heavy emphasis on alcohol," Allumbaugh told the student she was being a "busy body" and to mind her own business. As a result of this exchange, Allumbaugh was cited for "failing to demonstrate the highest standards of civility and decency to all," and in November 2010 was placed on permanent academic probation. Following two letters from FIRE, UC Davis removed Allumbaugh's probation, though students continue to face the threat of academic discipline for violating the university's Principles of Community. 

Case Materials

• "UC Davis School of Medicine Bylaws and Regulations," February 29, 2012
• "Email from Lavjay Butany, Chair of Committee on Student Progress to Curtis Allumbaugh, February 16, 2012," February 16, 2012
• "Letter to FIRE from Senior Associate Dean for Medical Education Mark Servis, December 5, 2011," December 5, 2011
• "Letter to Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi from FIRE, November 23, 2011," November 23, 2011
• "UC Davis response to FIRE, August 10, 2011," August 10, 2011
• "Letter from FIRE to UC Davis Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi, August 3, 2011," August 3, 2011
• "Email from Hanne Jensen, Committee on Student Progress to Curtis Allumbaugh, January 12, 2011," January 12, 2011
• "Letter to Curtis Allumbaugh from Associate Dean of Student Affairs and Graduate Medical Education Jim Nuovo, September 14, 2010," September 14, 2010
• "Email to student listerv, September 13, 2010," September 13, 2010
• "Email reply from Chris Allumbaugh to student, July 21, 2010," July 21, 2010
• "Email from student to Curtis Allumbaugh, July 20, 2010," July 20, 2010
• "Curtis Allumbaugh email to student listerv, July 19, 2010," April 28, 2010

Blog Entries

• "Victory: Probation Dropped for UC Davis Med Student; Unconstitutional ‘Civility’ Policy Remains," February 29, 2012: The University of California, Davis School of Medicine has removed a student from probation after punishing him for telling a fellow student to stop monitoring the mailing list for his entering class. The School of Medicine conflated Curtis Allumbaugh's personal emails with professional practice when it invoked the UC Davis Principles of Community to punish his lack of "courtesy," then added insult to injury when it threatened to put any med student who violated the Principles of Community on academic probation. Allumbaugh came to FIRE for help.