Mehta v. Ohio University

Connor, Judge.

{¶ 1} Plaintiff-appellant and cross-appellee, Bhavin Mehta, appeals from a judgment of the Court of Claims of Ohio in favor of defendant-appellee and cross-appellant, Ohio University (“OU”), on his claim for defamation after a bifurcated trial on the issue of liability. For the reasons that follow, we reverse in part the judgment of the trial court.

{¶ 2} The facts of this matter stem from a highly publicized plagiarism scandal that plagued the Russ College of Engineering and Technology at OU. At the time, Mehta was employed as an associate professor at Russ College and was the…