Ross v. Creighton University
United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
957 F.2d 410 (1992)
Kevin Ross (plaintiff), a talented high school basketball player with weak academic preparation, was recruited by Creighton University (defendant), which allegedly steered him into undemanding courses to preserve his athletic eligibility while knowing he wasn't prepared for real coursework; after four years he had earned only 96 of 128 needed credits, held a D average, and read and wrote at roughly a seventh- and fourth-grade level. The district court dismissed both his educational-malpractice tort claim and his breach-of-contract claim, and Ross appealed.
Whether a student may maintain a breach-of-contract claim against a university so long as the claim points to an identifiable contractual promise the institution failed to honor.