LU threat student files lawsuit

KFDM News has obtained a copy of a lawsuit filed by a man who went to federal prison for threatening violence at a Lamar University graduation and is suing to get his doctoral diploma.

Daniel Siringi, 35, claims he was unfairly denied his doctoral degree in December of 2008.

• Click here to read all past stories in the Lamar University threat case involving Daniel Siringi.
• Click here to read the PDF copy of Siringi's lawsuit as mentioned on KFDM News

A federal judge sentenced Siringi to 18 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to sending threatening e-mails to Lamar University president Dr. Jimmy Simmons.

Siringi threatened a Virginia Tech style shooting when he became upset after learning he wouldn't be allowed to walk at the graduation ceremony in December of 2008 at the Montagne Center.

School administrators said Siringi hadn't met the requirements to graduate and receive his doctorate in Chemical Engineering.

Siringi said he found that out ten days before graduation and wrote the e-mails out of anger and frustration.

The graduation took place with beefed up security and no one was hurt.

KFDM News has obtained a copy of the lawsuit.

Attorney Larry Watts is representing Siringi in a civil lawsuit against Lamar University, its president, Dr. Jimmy Simmons, and Oney Fitzpatrick, the Dean of Graduate Studies.

The lawsuit claims they violated the Texas Constitution by denying Siringi his doctoral degree. Siringi wants a judge to order the defendants to give him his degree.

The lawsuit alleges Fitzpatrick "lied to the academic officers of LU and said that he and/or his staff had reviewed the dissertation, when they had not, prior to making decisions regarding the conferral of Siringi's earned Ph.D degree."

The lawsuit also claims that LU President Dr. Jimmy Simmons "became aware of the fact that Fitzpatrick had lied and yet it was more important to Simmons that he support Fitzpatrick's lie than support the truth, that Simmons remained silent and hid the truth about Fitzpatrick's perfidy."

We contacted Lamar University for comment. Larry Acker, Assistant Director for Public Relations, told us the university can't comment on pending litigation.