Dean James Thelen, Associate Dean for Legal Affairs and General Counsel at the Thomas M Cooley School of Law, sent me a threatening letter about an hour ago. At his request, I have posted his letter in its entirety. However, I refuse to take down my previous posts (and that is what he is demanding). I have a right to raise these questions, and nothing about my posts are defamatory. They have no right preventing me from sharing this information. The public can reach its own conclusion. I hung up this response on advise of counsel, and will not be threatened by the implied slap shot suit that Dean Thelen mentions.
April 28, 2011
Ms. Johannsen:
I write to address your April 27, 2011 blog posting on http://alleducationmatters.blogspot.com. I note that you have just updated your posting today.
Your report regarding Thomas M. Cooley Law School is, at best, false and misleading; at worst, it is defamatory and actionable. A simple Google search would have demonstrated that the defamatory material passed off as truth – admittedly by your own “hunch” – is nothing but a regurgitated Internet rumor circulated and discredited months ago. (I’ve reviewed too your Twitter feed regarding these allegations, which is stated as fact and is thus defamatory as well.)
Thomas M. Cooley Law School is not, and never has been, under any investigation for its Title IV student loan programs or any other reason. Thomas M. Cooley Law School is a Michigan non-profit private educational corporation—not a for-profit entity that you assert to be the subject of a rumored government “crackdown.”
You should immediately remove these defamatory postings from your “All Education Matters” blog page, as well as from your Twitter feed and any other site that you control. I also expect that you will post an appropriate statement of the reason for your retractions.
Thomas M. Cooley Law School is accredited by the American Bar Association and the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. We have in place a Program Participation Agreement with the United States Department of Education, as required by the Higher Education Authority Act and its implementing regulations, and we dutifully meet our obligations under federal and state law, as well as our PPA agreement, to maintain the integrity of our Title IV program and funding. There have not been, to the best of our knowledge and information, any complaints of inappropriate activity regarding our Title IV programs to the DOE’s Office of Inspector General.
We at Thomas M. Cooley Law School are proud of our mission to provide one of the most affordable and accessible private legal educations in the country.
(You have my permission to post this statement, but only on the condition that it is posted in its entirety.)
**************************
James B. Thelen, Esq.
Associate Dean for Legal Affairs and General Counsel
Thomas M. Cooley Law School
300 S. Capitol Avenue
P.O. Box 13038
Lansing, MI 48901
(517) 371-5140 ext. 2003
fax: (517) 334-5752
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