Attorney Elizabeth Kamm Abdnour's Legal Cases

Constitutional

Lipton v. Michigan State University, et al.

Jan 16, 2026

OUTCOME: $300,000 settlement

Litigation filed on behalf of Dr. Jack Lipton, the Founding Chair of the Department of Translational Neuroscience and Associate Dean for Research Analytics in the College of Human Medicine and former F ... aculty Senate Chair at MSU, who became the subject of a sustained campaign of retaliation by two MSU Board of Trustees members after speaking out against their corruption and misconduct. The board members directed students and other MSU community members to file complaints against the faculty member, falsely label him a racist, and harass him publicly, causing serious harm to his professional reputation. Both trustees' motions to dismiss his complaint alleging claims of First Amendment retaliation and seeking injunctive relief were denied, and the case is proceeding against one member individually and the other member both individually and in her official capacity.

Discrimination

Babcock, et al. v. State of Michigan, et al.

Nov 15, 2025

OUTCOME: $275,000 settlement and a comprehensive set of improvements and modifications to the relevant buildings and facilities

Lawsuit filed on behalf of three disabled individuals who were repeatedly denied access to government and municipal buildings and their facilities, including restrooms, due to accessibility issues and ... failures to comply with building code, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and Michigan's Persons with Disabilities Civil Rights Act. The plaintiffs include two attorneys whose work and ability to practice law has been negatively impacted by the failures.

Sexual harassment

Owens, et al., v. Louisiana State University

Mar 28, 2024

OUTCOME: Confidential settlement

Litigation filed on behalf of women and LGBTQ+ individuals who survived sexual assault, sexual harassment, domestic violence, and stalking on campus and were systematically failed by the Louisiana Stat ... e University Title IX office, athletics department, and administration. The complaint alleged Title IX and other civil rights claims.

Employment and labor

Poitra v. Michigan State University, et al.

Dec 05, 2023

OUTCOME: $150,000 settlement

Litigation filed on behalf of Dr. Christie Poitra, the Interim Director of the Native American Institute at MSU, who was harassed and retaliated against for years by her direct supervisor before going ... through an investigation and hearing through MSU's Office for Civil Rights and Title IX Education and Compliance. When the investigation finally concluded, over 500 days after she filed her complaint, MSU found the respondent in violation of University policy for sexually harassing Poitra, but only sanctioned him with four weeks of unpaid leave. After that, Poitra continued to experience retaliation from new supervisors. The complaint alleges violations of Title VII, Title IX, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, and other civil rights claims.

Sexual harassment

Doe v. Walled Lake Consolidated School District, et al.

Aug 07, 2023

OUTCOME: Confidential settlement

Litigation filed on behalf of a middle school student with disabilities who was repeatedly sexually harassed and stalked by a peer via sexually explicit photographs and text messages sent to her cell p ... hone. After reporting the harassment to her school, which did not respond appropriately, the student's abuser cornered her in a "quiet room" at school. When she tried to defend herself from her abuser, the district suspended her from school without a hearing, causing her to miss months of her education and to need psychiatric hospitalization. Claims include violations of Title IX, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Fourteenth Amendment, and state civil rights laws.

Sexual harassment

Doe v. Finneytown Local School District, et al.

Jan 17, 2023

OUTCOME: Confidential settlement

Litigation filed on behalf of a middle school student with a disability who was sexually assaulted, repeatedly sexually harassed, and severely bullied, including being repeatedly told to kill herself, ... at school. The school failed to initiate an appropriate Title IX response or protect her from her tormentors, leading her to decompensate physically and emotionally until she had to be hospitalized. The complaint alleges Title IX, tort, and other civil rights claims and seeks injunctive relief. On November 16, 2021, the court issued an order denying defendants' motion to dismiss multiple claims, including, most notably, the victim's claim of intentional infliction of emotional distress - a claim that rarely survives a motion to dismiss in a Title IX-related matter.

Sexual harassment

John Doe EAL1 v. University of Michigan

Jan 01, 2023

OUTCOME: Confidential settlement

Lawsuit filed on behalf of a survivor of sexual abuse by serial perpetrator Robert Anderson at the University of Michigan. The survivor was a member of the UM football team in the late 1970s and was r ... epeatedly subjected to sexual assault by Anderson during medical appointments, leading to severe lifelong harm including depression, difficulty in romantic and sexual relationships, and shame. The complaint alleges violations of Title IX, the Fourteenth Amendment, Michigan's Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, and tort claims.

Sexual harassment

Doe v. Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska, et al.

N/A

OUTCOME: Ongoing

Litigation filed on behalf of a survivor of years-long sexual harassment, stalking by her former advisor, which continued even after she left Nebraska to start her graduate studies over at another inst ... itution out of state and which caused significant injury to her reputation and career. The complaint alleges Title IX, breach of contract, and other civil rights and tort claims. On January 5, 2022, the court issued an order denying defendants' motion to dismiss multiple claims, including, importantly, the survivor's claims of violations of her constitutional due process rights. This is an argument made regularly with respect to respondents in Title IX proceedings, but has rarely succeeded when argued on behalf of victims.

Education

T.M. v. Detroit Public Schools Community District

N/A

OUTCOME:

Litigation filed on behalf of a disabled former high school student who was denied appropriate special education services and discriminated against based on her disability. After waiting more than 600 ... days to receive a decision in her special education due process administrative hearing - ten times the statutorily ordered timeline - the hearing officer found that T.M. had not been deprived a free and appropriate public education, despite graduating with the ability to read and do math at third grade levels. Claims include violations of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and Michigan's Persons with Disabilities Civil Rights Act.

Elizabeth Kamm Abdnour's Legal Cases (9)

Lipton v. Michigan State University, et al.

Babcock, et al. v. State of Michigan, et al.

Owens, et al., v. Louisiana State University

Poitra v. Michigan State University, et al.

Doe v. Walled Lake Consolidated School District, et al.

Doe v. Finneytown Local School District, et al.

John Doe EAL1 v. University of Michigan

Doe v. Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska, et al.

T.M. v. Detroit Public Schools Community District