Let’s say you’re a tenured law professor at a prestigious law school. You’ve got the job security with tenure that most people only dream about. But then you disrupt a student conference, yell at the dean’s assistant, publicly blast your colleagues through a faculty listserv, refuse to teach your course, and ultimately say your employer is evil and racist—all while forgetting to actually apply for FMLA leave. Do you think your employer can discipline you for all that? Spoiler alert: Yes. Yes, they can. That’s exactly what happened in Beny v. University of Michigan, No. 24-1674, 2025 WL 2124175 (6th Cir. July 29, 2025).
Before diving into the meltdown, let’s talk about the laws at play. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects employees from employment discrimination based on race/color, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, national origin, and age, as well as prohibiting retaliation for reporting or opposing such employment discrimination. The Family and Medical Leave Act (“FMLA“) entitles eligible employees to take unpaid, job-protected leave for specific family or medical reasons—so long as they actually apply for it and follow the rules. These laws were not created as “get out of HR jail free” cards—they exist to protect employees facing genuine injustice, not to bail out law professors gone rogue.
Professor Laura Beny had been a tenured professor at the University of Michigan Law School since 2008 and received an endowed chair in 2019. But starting in 2018, her behavior raised eyebrows. First, she disrupted a student-led academic conference, shouting and demanding to speak uninvited, accusing the school of sabotage, and confronting attendees with intimidating remarks. That earned her a disciplinary warning. She then accused a colleague of leaving to call the police.
In 2019, she berated the dean’s assistant (also a Black woman), asked if she had a soul, and then apologized by email. This led to another disciplinary notice and a one-year delay on sabbatical eligibility.
Then things got really wild in 2022. After receiving anonymous student complaints about her preparedness and tardiness, Beny decided the faculty listserv was the perfect place to air her grievances. She shared an old inappropriate email from the Dean and accused colleagues of cowardice. When administrators told her to meet and discuss the complaints, she refused and threatened to embarrass the law school. Then, she announced to her students that she could no longer teach at the school due to “arbitrary abuse and retaliation.”
She didn’t show up to teach. She didn’t attend meetings. She didn’t evaluate faculty as assigned. Instead, she went on a spree of emails and calls accusing colleagues of being Satanic, racist, and cowardly.
The Sixth Circuit applied the familiar McDonnell Douglas burden-shifting framework—a test used by courts when there’s no direct evidence of discrimination. It requires the employee to make an initial case, the employer to offer a legitimate reason, and the employee to then show that reason is a cover-up for discrimination. Even assuming she made out a prima facie case, the University offered legitimate reasons for the discipline: abandonment of her duties, retaliation against students, and harassment of colleagues.
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Equal Pay Act: Not About Equal Drama
The administration issued a third disciplinary notice, froze her salary, and cut off summer funding and sabbatical eligibility.
Beny also tried to compare her salary to that of another professor. But the difference was explained by her discipline. Freezing her salary due to misconduct is not sex discrimination—it’s basic HR. The Court didn’t buy her argument and affirmed the dismissal of that claim too.
Beny’s legal claims under Title VII were based on race and sex discrimination and retaliation. She even threw in an Equal Pay Act (“EPA”) claim for good measure. But all of her claims failed at summary judgment because she couldn’t show that the University’s reasons for disciplining her were pretextual, meaning the reasons given by the employer were not the true reasons for the disciplinary action but were instead a cover-up for unlawful discrimination or retaliation.
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What is the “Honest Belief Rule?
Beny argued that her actions were excused due to mental health issues, but the Court applied the “honest belief rule.”
Translation: If the employer honestly and reasonably believed in the reasons it gave—even if those were ultimately incorrect—it’s not considered discrimination. The University didn’t know Beny was claiming FMLA leave when it disciplined her, and she offered no evidence that anyone involved in the discipline process was aware of it. The Court found that the University conducted a thorough investigation, and many of Beny’s actions were directed at the decisionmakers themselves. There was no need for further inquiry. The honest belief rule protected the University.
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How Do I Apply For FMLA?
Ah, here’s where things get extra messy. Beny claimed that she had applied for FMLA leave due to psychological stress after she refused to teach. But instead of applying for FMLA, she initially submitted a workers’ comp claim online. She later clarified (weeks after the disciplinary notice) that she meant to apply for FMLA. Her leave was approved retroactively.
Her argument? That the school retaliated against her for taking protected FMLA leave. The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals was not impressed.
Discrimination laws protect employees from being treated differently because of their race, sex, disability, or other protected traits. But they do not give employees a free pass to insult colleagues, abandon job duties, or misuse internal systems. Even if you are eventually approved for medical leave, you cannot retroactively justify disruptive behavior.
Best FMLA Lawyer Blogs on Point:
- Yes, You Can Be Fired For Getting Busted Doing Manual Labor While On FMLA For Being “Completely Disabled”
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- Wrongfully Fired For FMLA Use Or ADA Violation? You Have Rights
Should I Get Legal Help To Deal With Discrimination And Harassment At Work?
Yes! Let’s say it louder for the folks in the back: this woman teaches employment law. If a tenured, credentialed law professor at a top-tier school cannot figure out how to properly handle her own FMLA and employment discrimination case—despite decades of experience and presumably a faculty bookshelf full of casebooks—what hope does any regular employee have navigating this alone?
If you believe you were wrongfully terminated or wrongfully fired, or if your employer is discriminating or retaliating against you, speak with an experienced employment attorney immediately. You have limited time to file an EEOC charge or lawsuit, and you must include all your claims from the beginning. This is not the time to “DIY” your legal rights. If a law professor could not handle it, you definitely need the best employment lawyers in your corner. Call Spitz, The Employee’s Law Firm. Our employment attorneys offer free consultations, we have a no-fee guarantee, and we have the trial-tested experience needed to fight back against wrongful termination, workplace discrimination, and FMLA violations.
Employment Lawyer Disclaimer:
This employee rights blog provides general information about employment discrimination, wrongful termination, retaliation, and FMLA but should not be considered legal advice. Every employee’s situation is different, and laws like the FMLA, Title VII, and the Equal Pay Act can be complex. If you believe you have been wrongfully fired or mistreated by your employer, consult with a qualified employment lawyer for specific advice tailored to your unique circumstances. No promises are being made, and this blog is a legal advertisement. Keywords: employment discrimination, race discrimination, sex discrimination, FMLA, wrongful termination, wrongfully fired, retaliation, Equal Pay Act, employment lawyer, attorney, best employment law firm, employment law, employment law firm.