6th Circuit Rejects Law Prof's Claim That $666 Raise Was Retaliatory As "Mark of the Beast"

In Lifter v. Cleveland State University, (6th Cir., Sept. 12, 2017), the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed an Ohio federal district court's dismissal of a lawsuit by two former Cleveland State University Law School professors (husband and wife) who claim that the dean had retaliated against them because of the husband's activity in unionizing the faculty.  Plaintiff Sheldon Gelman argued that part of the retaliation was awarding him a raise of only $666 for the year.  He contended that not only did he deserve more, but that the dean chose the $666 figure as an intentional invocation of the biblical "mark of the beast."  The court dismissed Gelman's claim, saying:

Construing the facts in the light most favorable to Gelman, he cannot show that his union organizing activities were a substantial or motivating factor in these alleged injuries.

Law.com reports on the decision.