Mark Tarka v. William H. Cunningham

EDITH H. JONES, Circuit Judge:

Given pro se appellant Tarka’s facility at writing and his persistence, combined with his practical litigation experience, 1 he might logically have chosen to attend law school rather than to pursue a science curriculum. Tarka was, however, a non-degree-seeking student at the University of Texas in the spring semester, 1989, when a dispute arose over the physics grade he was assigned by Professor Thompson. He filed suit under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), 20 U.S.C. § 1232g(a)(2), and under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Because the district court…